One of the perks of being a snooker player is that you can compete long after you would have already retired from other sports.
Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Williams, and John Higgins – the so-called ‘Class of ‘92’ – are still considerable forces in the sport, despite closing in on their respective fiftieth birthdays.
And two players in their forties, Mark Selby and Neil Robertson, have confirmed the old adage that ‘form is temporary, class is permanent’ by picking up ranking event titles as part of their rejuvenation in 2024.
The Winners’ Circle
Not that long ago, it would have been a surprise to see either Selby or Robertson listed as a prominent contender for one of snooker’s Triple Crown events.
But fast-forward to November 2024, and the UK Championship odds have Selby as a +700 shot to lift the trophy, and Robertson priced at (+900).
The snooker betting odds for the first major of the season are dominated by the likes of Judd Trump and Ronnie O’Sullivan (+350), but if form is a key factor in determining a future tournament winner, it’s Selby and Robertson that most catch the eye at their respective prices.
Snooker’s Triple Crown is made up of the three most prestigious tournaments on the circuit: the UK Championship, The Masters, and the World Championship.
Selby, known as the Jester from Leicester given his willingness to crack a joke or two, has won each of the Triple Crown events multiple times; a nod to his longevity and pedigree.
But after falling on lean times, it appeared as if the 41-year-old was starting to decline; he even contemplated retirement from the sport after an early exit from the 2024 Worlds.
Four-time world snooker champion Mark Selby admits he could RETIRE after crashing out at the first-round stage at the Crucible… as he brands his 10-6 defeat by a debutant as ‘PATHETIC’ https://t.co/VH92BZS9VJ
— Mail Sport (@MailSport) April 23, 2024
However, Selby has found some form from somewhere – class is permanent, after all, and he returned to the winner’s circle for the first time in 18 months after clinching the British Open title in September.
With deep runs to the quarter and semi-finals at the English Open and Shanghai Masters respectively as well, Selby is somewhere back to his consistent best – ideal timing, given that the snooker season is about to enter its business end.
Return to Form
Neil Robertson is another proud member of the Triple Crown club: the Australian becoming the first non-UK player to do so when completing the set with the 2013 UK Championship.
But since 2022… well, it’s been radio silence for Robertson as far as ranking titles are concerned.
However, like Selby, the 42-year-old seems to have found an extra gear in 2024, with a quarter-final appearance at the Saudi Arabia Masters seemingly a catalyst for a return to the winner’s circle in September.
That would come at the English Open, where he defeated former world champion Shaun Murphy, World Championship finalist Barry Hawkins, and the 2023 Snooker Shootout champion Chris Wakelin on his way to the final.
Another good win tonight. Quarter finals tomorrow lunchtime on @eurosport 🙌🏻 pic.twitter.com/PrfEt3b8Ca
— Neil Robertson (@nr147) October 24, 2024
There, Robertson would wrap up a nerve-jangling 9-7 victory; his first ranking event title in more than two years.
At the time of writing, the Aussie had also romped into the quarter-finals of the Northern Ireland Open, so he – like Selby – will be chomping at the bit to attack the Triple Crown events this term, which get underway with the UK Championship in November.