Selby wins SAGA Insurance Masters

Mark Selby re-wrote the record books when he became the first debutant for 19 years to win the SAGA Insurance Masters.

The Leicester professional powered to an impressive 10-3 victory over Wiltshire cueman Stephen Lee to secure his first major title at Wembley Arena.

Only John Spencer (1975), Doug Mountjoy (1977), Terry Griffiths (1980) and Stephen Hendry (1989) have previously won the tournament on their debut.

And victory was extra special with £150,000 (€201,116) in prize money for winning this year’s title, while Lee pocketed £68,000 as a worthy runner-up.

Selby’s 141 break in the final frame also pocketed him an additional £5,000 (€6,703), equalling Irishman Ken Doherty’s 141 break from earlier in the invitational event.

Doherty also takes home £5,000 (€6,703) with the high break prize of £10,000 (€13,408) shared between the two players.

Selby led 5-3 at the mid-session interval and then reeled off a further five frames following the resumption to complete a memorable victory.

However, it was Lee who started the better and who won a scrappy opening frame for the lead.

Selby hit back with a cool break at 124 to draw level, which he followed with a break in 88 to go ahead for the first time in the match.

The fourth frame nearly lasted half an hour, but it was Lee who won it to leave the match finely poised at 2-2 at the mid-session interval.

Lee gained the advantage by winning the first frame after the resumption, but then the world number 13 saw his opponent reel off three frames on the spin for a deserved two frame cushion after the first session of this year’s final.

A run of 43 helped Selby tie the match up at 3-3, before a break of 60 saw him edge 4-3 ahead.

And it got even better for last season’s World Championship runner-up as a break of 45 helped him to 5-3 clear.

Having won the last two frames of the afternoon session, Selby made it seven frames in a row with further breaks of 132, 125 and 141 – equalling the tournament high break of this year’s £460,000 tournament.

His run of four centuries in the match proved too much for Lee to contend with - and Selby’s success made up for missing out on the famous Crucible crown last season and on a place in the UK Championship last month.