Selby's greatest triumph

Mark Selby wakes up today as the new UK champion - the greatest triumph of his career so far.

The world number one beat his close friend Shaun Murphy 10-6 in a gripping final that went on beyond midnight in York.

Picture by Monique Limbos

Question the quality if you will but this was still a fantastic final. Anxiety and pressure was at the heart of the drama as there were plenty of twists and turns, but Selby was a worthy winner.

Murphy showed again he is a great potter but, in the end, Selby had too much nous in his toolkit to be denied the trophy, as he won eight of the final 10 frames.

This was a massive win for Selby. It has been a difficult year for him with a nasty neck injury threatening his future in the game. But being the tough player he is, he has come back fighting.

Before this week Selby was already a two-time winner of the Masters but victory in either of two biggest events, the World and UK Championships, was long overdue.

Selby is often unfairly criticised for his style of play because people don't understand what an excellent match player he is. He can play fluid snooker along with the best of them. In fact, for each of the past two seasons in succession he has scored more centuries than anyone.

Above this, he's also a born winner. He's not afraid to dig his heels in and fight his way to victory and this fine win will go a long way to proving some of the doubters wrong.

Sport has never been about making friends. The huge piece of silverware Selby can put in his trohpy cabinet is all that matters.

Shaun was unsurprisingly gracious in defeat because he knows how much Selby deserves this. He is one of the most hardworking and hard to beat players on the circuit.

Christmas celebrations will be enjoyed this year in the Selby household. He pocketed the £125,000 top prize at the Barbican and ends a trying year reborn. He is back on top of the world rankings, the UK Championship winner, free from injury and back believing in himself again.