Mark Selby and Stephen Maguire will contest the 2025 Welsh Open final today for the Ray Reardon trophy. Here is how they emerged the winners of their respective semi-finals, as reported by WST.

Mark Selby 6-3 Luca Brecel

SELBY FINISHES STRONGLY TO END BRECEL’S RUN

Mark Selby came from 3-2 down to beat Luca Brecel 6-3 and reach the final of the BetVictor Welsh Open, remaining on track for a 24th ranking title. 

…

Brecel looked the stronger player when he led 3-2, but crucially missed chances in the sixth and seventh frames. That allowed Selby to gain control of the contest, and the four-time World Champion reeled off the last four frames to set up a final against Ali Carter or Stephen Maguire in Llandudno on Sunday.

The 41-year-old from Leicester will be playing in his 36th ranking final, having won 23 of his previous 35. Back in 2008 he beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 9-8 in the Welsh Open final, and has not won the event since. If Selby can lift the Ray Reardon Trophy tomorrow it will be his third piece of silverware this season having won the Unibet British Open in September and the BetVictor Championship League last week. He is sure to climb one place to third in the Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings, and the £100,000 top prize would boost him to fourth on the one-year list.

Defeat is a double blow for Brecel as victory today would have guaranteed him a place in next month’s World Grand Prix, instead he misses out on that event in Hong Kong. His hopes of winning the £150,000 BetVictor Bonus are also over as he needed to win the tournament to top the BetVictor Series rankings, so that windfall goes to Neil Robertson.

In a repeat of the 2023 Crucible final, Selby made a superb start with a 131 total clearance in the opening frame. Brecel was suffering from a headache and took a short break, and when he came back to the table he got his cue arm going with a run of 68 for 1-1. A scrappy 45-minute third frame went Selby’s way, before Brecel made 79 in the fourth then dominated the fifth for 3-2.

Belgium’s Brecel had chances to extend his lead in frame six, but missed a red with the rest when he led 23-2, and Selby punished him with a run of 60. World number seven Brecel had another opportunity in the seventh, but on 45 went for a risky three-ball plant which missed its target, and Selby cleared with 67 for 4-3. The Englishman went on to take the eighth with runs of 33 and 35 before sealing victory in the ninth with a 74.

“I got stronger as it went on, from 3-2 down that was the most composed I have felt all week,” said Selby. “I lost my way a bit after the interval. The match turned on the plant Luca went for at 3-3, it was probably a one in ten shot and perhaps he shouldn’t have gone for it. For me, you have to weigh up the options and percentages, if it’s not in your favour it’s not the right shot. But that’s how Luca plays and he has won tournaments so he’ll feel he doesn’t need to change.

“The difference for me in the last few weeks has been that I have been winning scrappy frames, which I had struggled with previously for a few months. Winning the Championship League gave me confidence. I have lacked consistency at times this season so it has been great this week to put a run together. I’ll enjoy the final tomorrow but I will be trying my hardest and determined to win.”

Brecel, who was playing in his first ranking semi-final of the season, said: “I didn’t play well enough, I missed too many chances. I felt I was playing well enough to win the tournament, but Mark was a very tough opponent today.”

Stephen Maguire 6-4 Ali Carter

MAGUIRE REACHES FIRST FINAL IN FIVE YEARS

Resurgent Stephen Maguire ground out a 6-4 victory over Ali Carter at the BetVictor Welsh Open to reach his first ranking event final since 2020.

World number 29 Maguire had not even appeared in a ranking event quarter-final this season prior to this week, but has shown his renowned fighting spirit in Llandudno to make it through to the conclusion. On Sunday he will battle Mark Selby over 17 frames for the Ray Reardon Trophy and a top prize of £100,000, with Glasgow’s 43-year-old Maguire aiming for a seventh career ranking title and first since the 2020 Tour Championship.

Back in 2004, Maguire won the UK Championship, and subsequently enjoyed a sequence of nine consecutive seasons ranked among the world’s top ten. Since then, highlights have been few and far between, but he recently started work with coach Chris Small for the first time and this week has produced a string of impressive wins. 

As an added bonus, his run has boosted Maguire from 41st in the Johnstone’s Paint One-Year Rankings into the top 32 and guaranteed him a place in next month’s World Grand Prix in Hong Kong. Victory over Selby tomorrow would push him up to 13th on that list and to 21st in the official Johnstone’s Paint World Rankings.

The Scot took the opening frame tonight with a break of 84, before Carter won the next two with runs of 118 and 54. World number 15 Carter had a chance to lead 3-1 but in frame four, trailing by 14 points, he missed the final blue to a baulk corner and also sent the cue ball in-off, allowing his opponent to level at 2-2.

Carter regained the lead before a break of 85 got Maguire back to 3-3. In the seventh, Carter was 22 points ahead when he missed frame-ball black to a top corner off the last red, and Maguire punished him by clearing the colours. A run of 57 extended Maguire’s lead to 5-3, then Carter’s 47 helped him pull one back.

Both players had chances in frame ten, and Maguire established a 58-35 advantage before laying a snooker on the last red. From the chance that followed, he slotted the red into a baulk corner from mid-range and added the points he needed to reach a 14th ranking final. 

“It was a scrap from start to finish and I’m very happy to come out on the right end,” said Maguire, who beat Stuart Bingham in the final of this event in 2013, two years after he had finished runner-up to John Higgins. “I have done well in the scrappy frames this week because I have not been scoring well, I haven’t even made a century. Working with Chris (Small) has definitely helped me. A few months ago I was losing to players who I didn’t feel I should be beating me. I made the call to Chris and he stripped my game back to basics. Maybe this is the reward.

“It’s nice to be in the World Grand Prix now but for me it’s all about trying to win the title. I’ll only enjoy it tomorrow if I win.”

I didn’t watch the evening match. I was due to travel very early this morning and couldn’t afford to stay up late but I’m very happy with the outcome. I always liked Maguire who is a no-nonsense guy and plays the game properly.

Regarding the afternoon match, Mark played well. It was a shame though that Luca wasn’t 100% fit. At the start of the match he required medical attention as he was suffering from migraine. Migraine isn’t just a headache. It’s very painful, it affects your vision, strong light is nearly unbearable, and it comes with nausea as well. The medication needs a bit of time to deliver full effect, the start of the match was delayed, and, of course, after a while, that effect fades. Luca started well but his level dropped as the match went on. We will never know how much the migraine affected him, if at all. But, as I already wrote, Mark played well, really well.