Mark Selby captured the 2026 China Open title after beating Noppon Saengkham 10-6 in Sunday’s final in Taiyuan.
The Englishman took control of the contest during the second session to end Saengkham’s memorable giant-killing week.
It represents a fourth triumph for Selby in the China Open, which was back on the calendar this year for the first time since 2019.
The Jester previously won the ranking tournament in 2015, 2017, and 2018 before it was taken off the annual schedule amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Despite a change of venue from Beijing to Taiyuan, it was like Selby had returned home as he dominated from the get-go in his pursuit of the £250,000 top prize.
After beating Pang Junxu 6-3 in his opening-round fixture, Selby lost just four more frames en route to the final.
A pair of 6-1 victories over fellow former world champions Kyren Wilson and Neil Robertson were followed up by a 6-2 defeat of Stuart Bingham in the last four.
Selby entered the title-deciding affair as a huge favourite for glory against a challenger bidding to capture his maiden professional title.
Saengkham had already made headlines this week for superb outings against world number one Judd Trump, all-time great Ronnie O’Sullivan, and Crucible finalist Shaun Murphy.
The 34 year-old underperformed in a cagey semi-final win over Zhou Yuelong, but a tremendous 134 clearance in the deciding frame underlined his credentials as a possible champion.
It was clear that he would have to step up in class again for the final and hope for a dip in form from his esteemed opponent.
At first, that’s exactly what transpired as Saengkham took advantage of a slow start from Selby – a terrific 138 aside – to establish a 4-2 advantage.
However, the momentum swung after a dramatic and controversial seventh frame that Selby managed to pinch on the final black.
A few minutes earlier, there was an impasse between the players and referee as a disagreement unfolded surrounding a called foul against Saengkham.
The Thai initially recovered from the distraction to pot blue and pink, but he then wobbled frame-ball black to allow Selby in for a reprieve.
The latter duly won the eighth frame as well to end the opening session all-square at 4-4.
It was all to play for when they returned not long after for the evening bout of play, but Selby used all of his experience to gradually gain a stronger foothold on proceedings.
Saengkham didn’t do a great deal wrong but couldn’t make any significant contributions and was left to rue a poor run of the balls, with Selby compiling runs of 58, 90, 69, and 52 to lead 8-4 at the last interval.
A gutsy 71 from Saengkham, bidding to become only the third player from Thailand to win a ranking title, subsequently helped to end his six-frame losing streak.
The former world under-21 amateur champion then looked set to reduce the deficit further but broke down on 68, with Selby getting the snooker he needed before clearing to move to within the brink.
Saengkham continued to fight valiantly to get another frame on the board, but Selby ultimately got the tenth frame he needed after receiving a couple of bites at the cherry in the 16th frame.
Success for Selby is his 26th in a ranking event and his first since capturing the UK Championship crown at the end of 2025.
It takes him to joint-seventh on the all-time list alongside Neil Robertson – one behind Mark Williams and just two off the tally of Steve Davis.
The huge champion’s cheque also rockets Selby back up the official world rankings list into fifth.
But it could get markedly better for the 43 year-old, who will enter the upcoming Wuhan Open as one of the favourites and with the knowledge that another piece of silverware there would correlate with him reclaiming the world number one spot.
That’s for later, with one of the sport’s great champions in Selby first able to celebrate his timely return to the winner’s enclosure.
Featured photo credit: WST
