Mark Selby Open, losing 1–4. Selby won his first ranking title of the 2017/18 season by retaining the International Championship after surviving a fightback from Mark Allen, who trailed 3–8 and 7–9 in the final but the Englishman prevailed 10–7. As 2017 World Snooker Champion, Selby automatically qualified for the 2017 Champion of Champions. However, he lost in the quarter-finals to Luca Brecel by a scoreline of 4–6. At the 2017 Shanghai Masters, Selby crashed out to 2011 finalist Mark Williams in the quarter-finals 3–5. Selby's reign as the UK champion came to an end with a 3–6 defeat to Scott Donaldson
World Snooker Championship final and setting another record for the latest finish in the final. Shaun Murphy came back from 7–12 down to win his quarter-final match against Matthew Stevens, but lost in the deciding frame of his semi-final to Mark Selby. The 2008 Championship was won by Ronnie O'Sullivan who beat Ali Carter 18–8 in the final. Both O'Sullivan and Carter had made maximum breaks earlier in the tournament, the first time there had been two 147 breaks in the same World Championship. It was O'Sullivan's third maximum in the Championship. John Higgins won his third world title in 2009, beating Shaun