As we continue this series of hypothetical ‘What Ifs’, one of the scenarios I wanted to think about is what potentially could have happened if Mark Selby didn’t win his maiden World Championship in 2014. While this may seem like it wouldn’t have had a significant impact, I think there are a couple of areas of interest in the realm of what could have been.

Firstly, if Selby didn’t beat Ronnie O’Sullivan that year and everything else that occurred in the years that followed remained the same, then the Crucible Curse would have been broken. Selby’s maiden title would have come in 2016 and his successful defence in 2017 would have broken the elusive Crucible Curse, whereby a player successfully defends their World Championship the year following their maiden title.

But would this have happened if Selby hadn’t won in 2014? His victory in 2014 is arguably his most impressive because of his display of mental toughness as he scrapped with the best. The confidence that anyone would take from a victory like that would be astronomical, so who knows if these further WSCs would be added to his list of accolades if he actually lost that match? Although, I reckon this would be unlikely due to Selby already being a 3-time Masters and UK Champion at the time. And for someone who has a work rate and temperament like Selby, it was only a short matter of time before he reached the summit.

Selby managed to remain atop the rankings from 2012-19. How would a loss in the 2014 world final change this? Chances are that he would have ended the 2013/14 in the No. 2 position, falling behind Neil Robertson; followed by Stuart Bingham overtaking him as he won the WSC in 2015, despite the ranking system changing to a money list from that season. However, as we know, 2016-17 belonged to Selby so he would have claimed the throne back for himself along with the No. 1 position. This doesn’t really mean too much except the nice chain of Selby holding No. 1 at the end of each season from 2012-19 would have been broken and wouldn’t have looked as impressive.

The other key way that I think Selby winning the WSC in 2014 would have impacted the snooker environment was the effect that it had on his opponent, O’Sullivan. Following his defeat to Selby, O’Sullivan hasn’t been able to progress further than the quarter-finals in the World Championship. Since his first win in 2001, he wouldn’t have to wait more than a few years to gain the title again. Now, he is experiencing the longest drought without at least reaching a final, and who knows when he’ll lift the trophy again?

*Edit: This Short was written prior to the World Snooker Championship 2020. Obviously, O’Sullivan has won the WSC, taking his total to six meaning that the possibility of him levelling with Stephen Hendry with regards to World Titles was definitely in the realm of what could have been. But I feel my points do still stand.

I truly believe that Selby dampened O’Sullivan’s streak as he had just made three consecutive finals and won two of them. If O’Sullivan won in 2014, he would be at least a 7-time World Champion, overtaking Steve Davis and tying Hendry. And I say ‘at least’ because I don’t think that his WSC form would have stopped there. The potential to win at least another one or two and even surpass Hendry in the history books could have taken place in the remainder of the decade.

Although, this has been dismissed by Selby who stated that O’Sullivan’s recent streak is down to the level of competition and how good the players are. But he did mention his thoughts on O’Sullivan likely breaking the WSC record if he had won in 2014 and that he has ‘missed the boat’ in his quest to win more world titles. So, in a sense Selby is agreeing regarding the effect of his victory.

Again, this is all conjecture so technically anything is possible in this What If series. But what do you think would have happened if Selby didn’t win the final in 2014? Do you think he still would have been the player he turned into by the end of the decade? And what other What If scenarios do you think would be worth exploring?

Like this Short? Click here to read: What If John Higgins Had Won Those World Finals?

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John Higgins is a four-time World Champion and a veteran at the Crucible. He is tied alongside Steve Davis when it comes to number of Crucible final appearances with eight; only topped by Stephen Hendry with nine final appearances. Given this 50% success rate, Higgins is already regarded as one of the game’s greatest all-rounders. But what would his stature be if he had won all of those finals?

As one of the longest standing professionals with a near thirty year long career, Higgins has made appearances and won a World Championship in every decade. From 1998 up to 2019, Higgins has reached the final on eight occasions, winning four out of his first five finals. Higgins’s triumphs occurred in 1998, 2007, 2009 and 2011; while his losses came in 2001 and more recently from 2017-19. But if Higgins had won in these years, would that change the landscape of the ‘greatest of all time’ discussions?

It isn’t an impossibility to imagine. Two of these losses are players he had beaten in WSC finals years earlier (albeit at younger stages of their respective careers), and the other two are his fellow Class of ’92 compatriots whom he has beaten in other Triple Crown finals. So it’s very possible that a world could have existed where Higgins was an eight-time World Champion.

But if this had happened, would Higgins be considered the best snooker player of all time? Quite possibly. Most consider Hendry the greatest due to his Triple Crown and ranking title accolades, but it mainly resorts to his WSC success. When the case is made against O’Sullivan, this is the barometer that is regarded as pertinent among Hendry idealists. Hence why a considerable number of people would consider Higgins as the greatest if he had won all eight.

Another factor that would lead to Higgins being regarded as the ‘GOAT’ in this hypothetical discussion is down to his all-round skillset and match-play fortitude. His style could be viewed as a contemporary hybrid of Davis’s and Hendry’s former playstyles, but one which evolved to suit the modern game. In this scenario, it would seem that Higgins would have no weakness and once again, potentially be known as the best.

However, there would still be some discussion as to the greatest even if Higgins had won all these world finals. Some may still find Hendry’s victories far more impressive. But that’s a matter of perspective – whether you rank a decade of dominance over a player’s longevity and ability to win throughout all points of their career. O’Sullivan would still also be thrown into the mix even though he would only be a four-time champion, due to his sheer ability and artistry on the table, not to mention other accomplishments.

Something further to consider is the Triple Crown tally. If Higgins had won all eight WSC finals, this would take his majors success from nine to thirteen. This number is considerably lower than the likes of the Trinity (Davis, Hendry, and O’Sullivan). Since we’re only looking at the World Championship finals, Davis’s and Hendry’s Triple Crown totals would remain the same at 15 and 18, respectively. Meanwhile, O’Sullivan’s tally would only be reduced by one, leaving him tied with Hendry. If the number of majors were to determine who the greatest was, much like Grand Slams in tennis, then Higgins still wouldn’t be the best due to his rivals’ success at the UK and Masters.

Although, the WSC is the most important tournament and the greatest test for a snooker player. So the argument would still be there if Higgins had won all those finals as more weight would be assigned to the Worlds. All we can say for certain is that in this hypothetical, Selby would have a slight dent in his meteoric rise and Trump would still be searching to complete the Triple Crown.

Like this Short? Click here to read: Does John Higgins Get Enough Credit?

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