The China Open final showdown is set with Mark Selby taking on Noppon Saengkham in the second ranking event of the 2026/27 season.
Saengkham has produced stunning snooker thus far, knocking out Ronnie O’Sullivan, Judd Trump and Shaun Murphy on his way to the final.
The Thai potter has reached just one ranking final previously, losing to Gary Wilson at the 2023 Scottish Open.
Mark Selby needs no introduction. The four-time world champion has been superb this week, conceding just seven frames on his way to the final, with Kyren Wilson, Neil Robertson and Stuart Bingham combining to win only four frames in his last three matches.
Mark Selby v Noppon Saengkham Tips Summary
Best Bet - Mark Selby -3.5 frames @ 5/6
Alternative Bet - Over 3.5 match centuries @ 1/1
Mark Selby v Noppon Saengkham Prediction
Best Bet: Mark Selby -3.5 frames @ 5/6
In December last year, Selby won his third UK Championship title and it appeared as though he was returning to the sort of form that saw him win four world titles between 2014 and 2021.
Since the start of 2026, though, he exited in the first round of the Masters, while failing to advance beyond round two of the World Snooker Championship.
An early loss at the Shanghai Masters was hardly the start to the new season he was after, but the Englishman has rebounded well at the China Open.
Having won his first round match 6-3, Selby then reeled off two 6-1 victories before prevailing 6-2 over Bingham in the semi-finals.
Back to the Selby of old so it seems. Saengkham has also played well this week, yet his matches have been fairly close, especially his 6-5 victory in the last four. He has conceded 16 frames across four game compared to just seven for Selby.
Given how fluid the four-time world champion has been recently, combined with the fact he defeated Saengkham 4-0 in their last meeting, a comfortable win for Selby is the best way to go.
Alternative Bet: Over 3.5 match centuries @ 1/1
Selby has made four century breaks across his four matches this week. He recorded his first in the win over Wilson, added two in six frames against Robertson before making his fourth century of the tournament to lead Bingham 3-2 in the semi-final.
In comparison, Saengkham has made just two across his four matches. One came against Trump in round one, before he made a stunning 134 clearance in the deciding frame to win his semi-final clash.
Given the final is best of 19, there are plenty of frames in which to make centuries and backing over 3.5 at 1/1 is appealing.
Selby is clearly in the mood this week and there is no chance of him slowing down in the final on Sunday.
Saengkham might be a bit more jaded following his exertions in his 6-5 semi-final victory, but as displayed against Trump, he can perform against the best when it really matters.
Mark Selby v Noppon Saengkham H2H Record and Stats
Mark Selby wins | 9 |
Noppon Saengkham wins | 3 |
Key Match Stats
- Mark Selby is chasing his 26th ranking title from 29 finals
- Noppon Saengkham has yet to win a ranking title, reaching just one final previously
- Selby has won the China Open three times before and has finished runner-up on two further occasions
- Noppon Saengkham has won two of his previous four matches against Selby, having won just one of their first eight meetings
- Selby has made four centuries during the tournament
- Selby has lost just four frames in his last three matches, while Saengkham has dropped 13
- The Jester from Leicester won the last head-to-head 4-0 at the Scottish Open in 2025
Read more snooker betting tips and predictions on site.
This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
