Selby first through to Premier League play-offs - 13/11/2008

MARK Selby has become the first player to qualify for the 2008 PartyPoker.com Premier League Snooker play-offs.

Mark Selby

Selby, competing in the event for the first time, guaranteed a place in the final four by clinching a 4-2 win against John Higgins in the latest round of matches.

"I played really well and hardly put a foot wrong," said Selby. "I knew John would be up for it as he needed three wins from his last three games and I knew I wasn't definitely through so I was up for it as well.

"Hopefully my form can continue and I will have a chance of winning the tournament. From the start I was just coming into it to enjoy it and I was given a wildcard into the Premier League so at one stage I didn't think I would be here."

Their match at the Olympos in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, promised to be a hard-fought encounter as a defeat for Higgins would leave him with a tough task to qualify himself.

However, Selby fired breaks of 102, 55 and 93 to win three of the first four frames to claim a spot in the semi-finals, which will be held at Potters Leisure Resort in Hopton-on-Sea, Norfolk, in early December.

Selby, who was given a wildcard into the Premier League, has also defeated Ding Junhui, Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis, before fighting back in his last match from 3-1 down to snatch a 3-3 draw with Ronnie O'Sullivan.

Selby started in stunning fashion with a break of 102, his third century of the campaign, but Higgins took a scrappy second, aided by a run of 39.

After leaving an early red, it looked to have cost Selby in the third as Higgins moved 46-8 ahead. However, the Scot ran out of position and a later misjudged safety attempt brought Selby back in action and his 55 proved critical.

That took him one frame away from the semi-finals and he made it in style thanks to another excellent break, this time a 93. Higgins was still battling for his own future and took the fifth frame of the night thanks to a break of 60 but Selby ended the match in style with a break of 120 in the last.

Mark Selby 4-2 John Higgins
102-0 (Selby 102), 37-82 (Higgins 39), 72-46 (Selby 55, Higgins 46), 94-32 (Selby 93), 28-62 (Higgins 60), 126-1 (Selby 120)