Selby becomes first four-time China Open champion with win over Saengkham

England's Mark Selby defeated Thailand's Noppon Saengkham 10-6 to claim his first ranking title of 2026 and the 26th of his career in the final of the China Open in Taiyuan on Sunday.

The two players were deadlocked at 4-4 after the first session, but Selby pulled ahead to 8-4 in the second. Saengkham pulled one frame back, but Selby responded with a strong run of form to move 9-5 ahead. Saengkham fought back again to cut the deficit to 9-6, before Selby regained his composure in the 16th frame with precise shot-making to seal a 10-6 victory.

The 43-year-old from Leicester became the first player to win the China Open on four occasions and now holds a record eight ranking titles in China. The holder of ten Triple Crown titles will jump from ninth to fifth in the world rankings and could climb to No. 1 if he goes on to win the Wuhan Open later this month.

"Today's match was very important to my career. I also learned a lot from the experience. I will continue to work hard in training and hope to become a champion in the future," Saengkham said after the match.

"I am very happy to win this title in China. It was a tough match, and I haven't played amazing shots in the final, but I think I performed well throughout the tournament," Selby said.