MARK SELBY will take on Luca Brecel in the world snooker championships final over the Bank Holiday weekend.
The Jester from Leicester eventually booked his place in the Crucible showpiece in the early hours of Sunday morning.
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He prevailed 17-15 against Mark Allen and will go up against Ronnie O’Sullivan’s conqueror Brecel.
The Belgian Bullet produced the greatest-ever Crucible comeback as he won 11 frames in a row from 14-5 down against Si Jiahui.
But how do the two stars match up ahead of the epic snooker showdown?
SNOOKER PEDIGREE
Selby has a wealth of experience at the top of the game, turning pro in 1999 and being world No1 for eight different spells.
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He is currently the No2 in the world behind O’Sullivan and a victory over 35 frames against Brecel would secure a fifth world title.
His nickname may be the Jester, but the 39-year-old is very measured and sensible in his style.
Brecel, 28, is the opposite, playing a very attacking and flamboyant brand of snooker – and even furiously swiped a ball off the table in anger.
And it has brought some success with three ranking tournament wins – including his first at a record-breaking 19 years old.
But in his 12 years as a pro, his highest ranking is No9 and he has one 147 maximum break compared to his rival’s four.
And before the 2023 championships, Brecel had never won a match at the Crucible despite being the tournament’s youngest debutant aged 17 in 2012.
FAMILY LIFE
Selby endured a difficult upbringing with his mother leaving the family when he was eight and his dad passing away with cancer when the snooker sensation was 16.
He battled through mental health struggles and started dating pool player and now-wife Vikki in 2006 after they met on tour.
Selby popped the question on a gondola in Venice and they tied the knot in Mexico in 2011.
They have one daughter, Sofia, who was born in 2014 and often joins in the world-title celebrations.
Brecel, meanwhile, previously dated tennis and volleyball player Gaelle Dept.
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But now he is in a relationship with Laura Vanoverberghe.
The couple started dating this year and Laura had never left Belgium before this week, sorting out a passport just in time to head to Sheffield on Friday.
It is understood they moved in together within weeks of getting together and he has credited 24-year-old Laura with his happiness away from the table.
However, unlike Selby, Brecel is not a dad at this stage.
MONEY TALK
With his extra years of experience and success, it is unsurprising that Selby has a higher reported wealth than his opponent.
The Leicester star is said to be worth a whopping £9.6million.
Brecel, meanwhile, has around £4m in his bank account.
The first man to reach 17 frames in the final will earn a cheque for £500,000 – with the runner-up claiming £200,000.
BEST OF THE REST
With a nickname like the Jester from Leicester, there is only one football team Selby could support.
He does indeed support his boyhood club the Foxes and his world titles have coincided with success at the King Power – promotion, the Premier League win, Champions League quarter-finals and the FA Cup.
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The 2016 success was wrapped up 13 minutes after Claudio Ranieri’s side were confirmed 5,000-1 champions of England.
Fans will be hoping Selby wraps up the title again in 2023 and Dean Smith can keep Leicester up.
Selby left school with no qualifications but a passion and talent in snooker, leading to his MBE in 2022.
He is also a keen golfer and a very good darts player and even beat Eric Bristow in 2007 – plus has dabbled with a couple of modelling photoshoots in the past.
As for Dilsen-Stokkem-born Brecel, he loves to travel and his Instagram has posts from all over the world including Curacao, Spain, China and Portugal.
He also enjoys a drink and admitted he had enjoyed a few heavy sessions with mates in the build-up to the world championships – culminating in a few games of FIFA in the early hours.
Brecel has a load of tattoos, too.
He has the words “FREE BIRD” spelled out across his fingers and has his hands and arms heavily inked – although most of these are hidden when he is in his shirt and bowtie around the baize.
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