Defending champion Mark Selby is aiming to win his third UK Championship title to further reinforce his position as world number one. The ‘Jester from Leicester’ originally won the title in 2012 and he secured his second success at York’s Barbican Centre last year when he beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 10-7 in an enthralling final. The 34-year-old has a knack for winning the big tournaments – he is a three-time champion at both the World Championships and The Masters – and he is now hoping to make it a hat-trick at the UK Championship as well.
“It means everything,” Selby said. “Being world number one for two years makes me want to work harder to see how long I can stay there. “I have won the Worlds three times and the Masters three times and the UK is only two at the moment.” Selby will also be hoping to draw on his experience from last year’s final against O’Sullivan as he believes he played some of the best snooker of his career when seeing off the five-time world champion. “It’s one of the best finals I have played in,” Selby added. “To play Ronnie in any final is a great feeling. To play him in one of the ‘Big Three’ – which I have managed to do now in all three – is fantastic.”
The 13-time ranking event winner will kick off the defence of his title with a first-round match against Egypt’s Basem Eltahhan on Wednesday and he is priced at 1/100 to secure victory. His opponent is available at 20/1.
UK Championship odds available at Dafabet.