2023 Crucible – Day 16 – Mark Selby makes a 147, the first in a World Final

Monique Professional snooker tournament

This 2023 World Snooker Championship has been extraordinary … and yesterday it delivered again!

Mark Selby made a 147 in the second session of the final and it’s actually the first ever 147 made in a World Championship final. It that wasn’t enough, yesterday was the 40th anniversary of the first ever 147 made at the Crucible by Cliff Thorburn. Brendan Moore is refereeing his last ever competitive snooker match and he couldn’t have dreamed of a better and more extraordinary farewell present.

Congratulations Mark Selby!

Here it is, shared by Eurosport on their YoTube channel

And some pictures shared by WST on twitter

As for the match itself, Luca Brecel is currently leading by 9-8. Luca won the first session by 6-2. At that stage Mark – who looked very tired – was making unusual mistakes and Luca was taking full advantage. In the second session however, things changed as Alan McManus had expected. Indeed Angles was in the ES studio after the first session and said that he fully expected Mark Selby to come back after getting some rest. Mark won the second session by 6-3. He’s still behind but just by one frame and must be considered as a clear favourite to lift the title this evening. That said, the way this championship has gone … who knows?

Unless the match finishes with a session to spare – which is very unlikely as it can only happen if Luca wins the afternoon session by 8–0 – I will only post about the outcome of this final until tomorrow evening. Indeed, I will be traveling to Sheffield for the 2023 Seniors World Snooker Championship. I will need to get up very, very early – 4am CET or earlier – and will only arrive in Sheffield in the evening. I don’t plan to watch much of this evening session…

9 thoughts on “2023 Crucible – Day 16 – Mark Selby makes a 147, the first in a World Final”

  1. 2024. Second week of January. Possible the biggest snooker tournament ever? […?] The Masters is basically one of the best, but the ‘Race in the race’ competition is growing! Who will own the entire – Triple Crown 147 – collection? W.A.S.! …And the illustrated company:
    1./ Stephen Hendry* (not relevant)
    2./ Ronnie O’Sullivan*
    3./ Ding Junhui* (in phase)
    4./ John Higgins (if take care of the position)
    5./ Neil Robertson*
    6./ Mark Selby
    * = super traditional Welsh Open maximum too…!

  2. Great to read that you are finally travelling again to Sheffield 😊. Have a safe journey and enjoy the time there 🌞😎✨

      • He does mind games and gamesmanship in a lot of matches and then starts cracking a joke to make everyone think he is some sort of a funny guy. He seems to be a very sneaky person and character. I also didnt forget his comments about Ronnie after the 2020 WC semis. Thats where he showed his true face.

      • A lot of players make comments they later regret after a painful defeat and at the time even the commentators were speculating that Ronnie was throwing the match away. Only, Ronnie had said BEFORE the match that this was what he intended to do if Selby tried to drag him into a safety contest. I have met Mark Selby regularly over the course of 6 years, i know him fairly well. He’s not a bad guy but he got a certain upbringing and background and is not what I would call a “free spirit”. There is a very somber side to him. The “Jester” is a façade. Behind that façade is a man who still in adulthood deeply suffers from the trauma of his childhood: being abandoned by his mother as a young child, losing his father to cancer at 16, experiencing homelessness when he and his brother were kicked out of their council house after their father’s death. He promised his father on his deathbed to be as successful as he can be at snooker and he will do everything in his power towards that goal.

    • He just had a tweet pr some other social media message denying he plays mindgames, claiming this is what he can do. Trzóuly why change a winning formula? He says he is not the most talented, which is true, but oinc he wins the 8th world championship, it will be hard to argue he is not the best ever.

  4. Unless Luca finishes 8-0 you mean, lol. I know this championship was full of surprises, but I don’t think there is any other possible outcome than Selby winning

    Great trip, fly safe!

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