Selby to face Higgins in British Open final

Mark Selby will look chap four-time world champion John Higgins successful nan last of nan British Open connected Sunday.

World number 5 Selby overcame Northern Ireland's Mark Allen 6-3 successful a hard-fought semi-final successful Cheltenham connected Saturday.

The Englishman will now return connected Higgins aft nan Scot hit Oliver Lines 6-0 earlier to scope his first ranking arena last since April 2022.

Selby produced a break of 105 connected nan measurement to a 3-0 lead successful nan 2nd semi-final, and past led 4-1, earlier world number 3 Allen fought back.

The 38-year-old from Antrim, who made a maximum 147 break during Friday's quarter-final triumph complete world number 1 Judd Trump, deed a 130 arsenic he trim nan shortage to 4-3.

But Selby, 41, recovered breaks of 95 and 77 to unafraid triumph and scope his first last since losing to Mark Williams successful last year's British Open title match.

Currently classed 99th successful nan world, 29-year-old Englishman Lines was playing successful his first semi-final and had chances successful astir of nan frames.

But Scot Higgins secured each one, his highest breaks of 64 and 67 coming successful nan past 2 frames.

At nan commencement of nan week, nan four-time British Open victor dropped retired of nan world's apical 16 for nan first clip since 1995 but will climb backmost up to astatine slightest 14th.

The 49-year-old now has nan chance to go nan oldest victor of a ranking arena since Ray Reardon successful 1982, and to triumph his first since nan 2021 Players Championship.

"I person not won silverware for a fewer years and I conscionable emotion nan emotion of being nan past man standing, that's why I support going," Higgins told nan World Snooker Tour.

"I americium going to person a monumental crippled tomorrow. I'll springiness it everything.

"There person been points successful nan past mates of years wherever I person felt that I americium not bully capable to compete against these guys and get to nan finals. I will savour it."

Higgins became only nan 2nd subordinate to make 1,000 profession hundreds of years at nan English Open past week, and Judd Trump became nan 3rd arsenic he mislaid to Allen successful nan British Open quarter-finals connected Friday.