Selby Denies Bingham Top Ranking

Mark Selby will remain snooker’s world number one ranked player heading into the 2016/17 season following his 18-14 victory against Ding Junhui at the Crucible yesterday to win his second world title.

The world rankings operate on a two-year ‘rolling’ system, meaning that this year Selby came into the World Championship facing the prospect of having to defend £300,000 of his ranking total following his maiden Sheffield success back in 2014. In fact had he lost in the early stages of the tournament, Selby faced the prospect of dropping down to as low as seventh position in the ranking list.

On the contrary, 2015 Crucible king Stuart Bingham had little to defend following a first-round exit against Ken Doherty a couple of years ago and so despite his opening day defeat to Ali Carter a year on, remained set to replace Selby as number one.

A repeat title for the ‘Jester from Leicester’ however means that Selby in fact adds £30,000 to his ranking compared to before the tournament, with the prize money having increased by that amount since 2014. He finishes the season £93,321 ahead of second placed Bingham, who was bidding to become only the 12th player to have held the number one ranking in snooker history.

Significantly, Selby’s achievement means that he has now finished the season as world number one for a fifth successive year, a feat matched only by Ray Reardon, Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry before him.

The newly-crowned double world champion also becomes the first player to retain the number one ranking for a complete season since the introduction of ‘rolling’ rankings following the 2010 World Championship.

To view the official world rankings at the end of the 2015/16 season click here.