by elliott west
The final at the Scottish Open was always going to be a battle of minds. This year experience played hunger as Mark Selby took on the youthful Jack Lisowski. Jack hails from the same mould as Judd Trump and has been circling the victory platform for sometime. Having had an impressive run to the final, Lisowski aimed to silence his critics and put to bed the claims that he is an underachiever.
On the day this match could have gone either way and Jack looked good at the start of the match with a dream start, taking the first frame with a 131-7 score line. Perhaps this was going to be the flavour of the match as when the first interval arrived both players were neck and neck at 2-2 with nothing to separate them. However no one should underestimate Mark Selby, his resilience to pressure and his ability to win a match when he is fighting for survival.
After the interval the first sign of an advantage for Selby was when he took a 4-3 lead. This was perhaps the turning point in the match as Lisowski was always playing catch up from this point. Had Jack been able to take the next frame then it may have been another story but Selby being Selby tightened the screw and made it 5-3 instead. This gave Jack a lot to think about before the evening session and maybe going back to the practice table was not enough to prevail against this snooker spartan. It would take a complete mindset change before he could contemplate beating his opponent.
Again in the evening session, Lisowski came out of the blocks first and was able to compile a 119 break but a snooker craftily devised by Selby in the next was a danger sign for Jack and he wasn’t able to get out of Mark’s safety web. It meant the young pretender was dealt another blow as he further trailed Selby, 5-7. Selby then extended his lead to 8-5 and only needed another frame for victory. Lisowski wasn’t read to give up just yet and laid a market for his opponent in the next, taming the frame 123-5 with breaks of 65 and 58. It wasn’t enough though and with such a big deficit to overcome it was only a matter of a waiting game before Selby took frame and match. A 9-6 victory for Mark Selby.
Apart from the qualifiers in Barnsley before Christmas, the Scottish Open was the last chance for players to take a title and again it was taken by a top eight player.
Lisowski’s defeat is no disgrace and he was able to break build in the match and produce his game. The 9-6 score line shows how well Jack can play and I still feel he is within touching distance of earning a major title. Perhaps with this defeat it will become a possibility as he begins to recognise his potential and then who knows, he may produce a string of titles as a result.
Selby on the other hand has found his game again after a period in the doldrums. His belief this week has shone through and showcased the great player he is. Perhaps he is the modern Steve Davis, because it is clear that he has a tactician’s brain. When a player can even put fear into Ronnie O’Sullivan then you know you’re dealing with one of the best. This sets up Selby as a strong contender for the Masters in January.
