Mark Selby was born on 19 June, 1983, in Leicester, England. Tutored by Malcolm Thorne, brother of ex-pro Willie, he practised snooker every day after school – before turning pro at the age of just 16.
In 2003, aged 19, the youngster reached his first ranking final at the Scottish Open, losing 9-7 to David Gray.
At the 2007 World Championships Selby enjoyed a fabulous run at the Crucible, before eventually going down 18-13 to John Higgins in the final.
On 20 January 2008, the ‘Jester from Leicester’ won his first major title, landing the Masters at Wembley. He scored four brilliant century breaks in a 10-3 final victory over Stephen Lee.
He is now a four-time Masters champion, winning the prestigious crown three times in four years between 2010 and 2013.
At the 2011 World Championships, the Jester set a record for the most century breaks compiled in a Crucible match with six against Stephen Hendry.
Selby became world number one for the first time in 2012, and will begin the 2014/15 season in that coveted top spot.
Selby beat Ronnie O’Sullivan 18-14 to win his first World Championship in 2014. In doing so he became the ninth player to win the ‘Triple Crown’ of the Masters, UK Championship and World Championship.
