Snooker scores LIVE – Higgins vs Selby updates in Tour Championship final

John Higgins pays Mark Selby ultimate compliment

The two Tour Championship finalists clearly have a huge amount of respect for one another, with John Higgins paying Mark Selby pretty much the ultimate compliment in snooker.

He believes that aside from Ronnie O’Sullivan, Selby is the best to pick up a cue that he has faced.

He told ITV: “Mark is an incredible competitor and an incredible champion. He’s one of the best players who has ever held a cue, without a shadow of a doubt.

“I say it all the time, these other great champions who are winning multiple events have to have steel in them. They have got to have the whole package.

“A lot of the top players have got all that, your Judd Trump, Kyren (Wilson) coming on the scene. He’s an incredible competitor.

“Without a doubt he’s one of the best I’ve ever faced. I’d probably put him behind just O’Sullivan.”

Selby 3-5 Higgins

Mark Selby is finishing this session in fine form, rattling in another century break – this time 136.

He may be two frames down but after back-to-back victories, will be feeling confident that he can overturn the deficit in tonight’s action.

That, by the way, will get started at 7pm.

2 hours ago15:59 Jack McEachen

Selby 2-5 Higgins

I hope no one needs reminding of Mark Selby’s quality in this final. He clipped in a 112 clearance after four frame wins in a row from John Higgins.

A superb mentality shown by the Jester from Leicester. One more frame to go in the session.

Mark Selby during a big break.

Selby 1-5 Higgins

John Higgins is halfway to winning this final and threatening to run away with victory.

Another emphatic frame saw Higgins claim 102 points to Selby’s four.

Selby 1-4 Higgins

And it’s John Higgins who comes out on top. Very few can beat Mark Selby in a battle of safety and patience, losing that frame will be a bitter pill to swallow.

Selby eventually needed two snookers but Higgins returned to the table with 18 to claim the 57-minute frame.

Selby 1-3 Higgins

No we haven’t stopped providing updates, we are just in the middle of the final’s longest frame by a distance…

Over 40 minutes and counting since Mark Selby and John Higgins returned from the mid-session break, with a host of safety battles from two of the best in such situations.

3 hours ago14:17 Jack McEachen

Selby 1-3 Higgins

John Higgins now has a two-frame lead and is enjoying the better of these early frames.

A very polished 102 is the second century break of the final. Some very top snooker on display here.

John Higgins preparing to hit the balls.

A laser-focused John Higgins.

Selby 1-2 Higgins

Mark Selby needed a snooker to launch a comeback following John Higgins’ initial 68 break.

And he was unable to record that, with Higgins returning to the table with a strong pot and did enough without needing to clear the table.

Each of these three frames has been one-sided, but this is a final between two four-time world champions and will ebb and flow throughout.

Selby 1-1 Higgins

Mark Selby has levelled in style after an immaculate 135 break and there was little John Higgins could do about it.

He strutted around the table and made quick work to rack up the first century break of the final. At this rate it will not be the last.

For those keeping track, that’s Selby’s 68th century break of the season.

4 hours ago13:20 Jack McEachen

Selby 0-1 Higgins

John Higgins strikes first in this Tour Championship final, with Mark Selby opting against playing on while snookered behind the brown.

Higgins threatened to put the frame away while leading by 39 points, playing some free-flowing snooker that bodes well for this match, but lost position on the white.

He was handed a golden opportunity by Selby, however, moments later when a red was left over the pocket. That was enough to get the Scot on the scoreboard.

Mark Selby and John Higgins shaking hands.

A pre-match handshake between the two finalists.

Mark Selby delighted with his form

Mark Selby has endured a mixed season but believes he is hitting form at the perfect time ahead of today’s final, which is now less than 15 minutes away.

“I played good stuff all day,” Selby told ITV after his win over Ding Junhui. “The last frame of the afternoon session was important, to go 6-2 ahead, as 5-3 could have made it a different game tonight.

“I have been playing with more belief this season and that has allowed me to be more natural and free-flowing so I think that’s why I have scored more heavily.

“My safety let me down last season but now it’s back where I want it to be.”

5 hours ago12:27 Jack McEachen