Selby vs Saengkham Prediction 16 August 2026

The fireworks of emotion should be reserved for the next section of this preview, not here. This week, Mark Selby is doing exactly what’s expected of him: in a tournament marked by inconsistent break-building, he remains one of the world’s finest. His path to the final has been as smooth as it’s been efficient.

In the semi-final, Selby dispatched an in-form Stuart Bingham with a commanding 6-2 victory. It seemed Bingham wasn’t fully recovered after a gruelling quarter-final the day before. Selby came out on top in nearly every tricky situation on the table. Two half-centuries and a century break were more than enough to seal the win. Class, composure, and razor-sharp focus Selby is looking very strong right now.

Noppon has been outstanding. He’s not just taking down top players this week he’s doing it in a variety of styles. His game features both impressive break-building and tactical mastery, including effective safety play and snooker escapes. Zhou Yuelong experienced this firsthand in the semi-finals. The Chinese player managed to drag Saengkham into a tense, tactical battle, but still came up short in the deciding frame.

The semi-final turned into a test of nerves, with Yuelong constantly chipping away at the deficit. There was just one century break between them if that doesn’t tell you about the tension, nothing will. That century came in the decider: Noppon held his nerve and knocked in a superb 134. That’s something Shaun Murphy, who has struggled in those moments lately, could certainly take note of.