RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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Mark Selby is the first player to win the China Open on four occasions having previously won it in 2015, 2017 & 2018 [Getty Images]
Mark Selby claimed his fourth China Open title with a 10-6 victory over Noppon Saengkham in Taiyuan.
Four-time world champion Selby, 43, has now won 26 ranking events and this success lifts him from ninth to fifth in the world rankings.
"I'm happy to be standing here as champion, I played some good stuff all week, somewhere near close to my best," said Selby.
The Englishman, who was appearing in his first ranking final in China for eight years, had trailed 4-2 early in the contest despite compiling a wonderful 138 break in the third frame.
However, he took the final two frames of the first session to draw level at 4-4 and when play resumed he knocked in breaks of 58, 90, 69 and 53 to reel off the next four and establish a healthy advantage.
Thailand's Saengkham, who had already dispatched Judd Trump, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Shaun Murphy en route to only his second ranking final, responded with a 71.
Selby, who has come into the season with a new cue for the first time in 20 years, laid two excellent snookers as he recovered to take the 14th frame.
And while his opponent rallied again to win the next, Selby sealed his win with another half-century to take the top prize of £250,000, with Saengkham having to settle for the £100,000 on offer to the runner-up.
Saengkham's performance at the tournament helps him climb 18 places in the world rankings to 27th.
"Mark was strong and controlled the game well, his safety game was so good," said Saengkham.
"When I was 4-2 up he was under pressure, but in the evening the game changed and it looked like Mark was controlling everything. I will keep trying hard and hopefully one day I will be the champion."
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