Mark Selby and John Higgins gave us one hell of a final to close out this year's World Snooker Championship at the Crucible today.

Scot Higgins held a 10-7 advantage going into the final day of action after two sessions of high-class snooker on Sunday, but holder Selby won the final three frames last night to keep in touch going into today's finale.

The World number one underlined his ranking by completing a storming comeback to go into the final session with a 13-11 lead.

From there, he saw off a late Higgins charge to win 18-15 and become one of just four players to successfully retain the World Snooker Championship and win his third title at the Crucible in four years.

Relive every shot from the Crucible final below.

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Selby celebrates with his family

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Selby joins an elite group of players

Along with Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Ronnie O’Sullivan, Mark Selby is now one of four players to successfully defend the World Snooker Championship title.

He’s now one title behind John Higgins, who has four to his name.

The Leicester Jester gets a cheque for £375,000 as well as the trophy.

Not a bad day’s work!

Mark Selby wins World Snooker Championship 18-15

Selby finishes off the final frame with an exhibition shot to give himself position on the final red.

He’s played some fantastic shots and that was one of the best.

The Jester from Leicester has won it 15-18!

That’s his third title in four years in the 40th World Snooker Championship to be played at the Crucible.

Higgins over-cuts the red. Is this it?

It’s 5-19 in John Higgins’ favour as the pair take turns trying to play the safety shot.

The Scot takes another gamble but he over-cuts the red and cannons the blue and he may just have set up Selby here...

The Jester can pot the red over the pocket and end up on the blue, pink or black.

He’s taking no risks, playing for the blue and there’s a good spread on the pack for him.

Higgins makes a brave pot to take initiative

The pace has really dropped here, as Higgins holds on for dear life with a great safety shot.

Selby has nothing on as he congratulates the Scot on the shot.

But he does a good job despite having little to work with, leaving the cue ball on the far cushion.

There’s a very tight angle on a red for Higgins, and he pots it. What a shot!

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What a match this has been

Higgins is millimetres away from potting a red off the cushion - that would have been huge.

But right now, neither player can take control.

Selby steps up and plays another good safety shot.

Higgins takes a moment to consider his options...

Selby on cusp of winning the championship

Selby makes a fantastic shot that might not have been entirely planned before playing a great safety behind the green.

That was a cut and a half.

It’s 5-0 to Selby with Higgins at the table. He decides to play the safety instead of taking a gamble.

One more mistake from the Scot and that’s it.

Has he left anything on for Selby?

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Mark Selby 17-15 John Higgins

What a frame from Selby!

Just when the tie threatened to turn against him, he pulls out a huge break of 131 to take the 32nd frame 132-0.

That’s the response he needed and now he’s just one away.

After that controversy with the black ball in frame 31, he put it out of his mind and made a century break after a superb opening red.

That’s why he’s the number one in the world!

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Selby's black ball already has a Twitter account

Because social media.

Re-rack at the start of frame 32

Could things get any more tense?

Yes, is the answer.

The players agree to have the table reset at the outset of the 32nd frame...

Mark Selby 16-15 John Higgins

Selby’s attempted snooker behind the blue is just short.

Higgins has an angle on the last red on the table and sinks it.

Can he clean up from here?

Yes he can. And now he’s pulled back another frame.

It’s 16-15.

How will this frame shake out?

Oooh, Higgins misses the pot on the black and leaves the table with a break 43.

This frame is hanging in the balance, it’s 47-50 and neither player wants to give up the advantage here.

No-one wants to take the risk, they’re both trying to snooker one another now.

Is that a turning point?

Higgins is certainly hoping so. He’s potted his way back into contention in this frame with a 37-break and counting.

It’s 47-44 and the Wizard from Wishaw is going strong.

Guess who's watching the snooker and not the football?

Referee over-rules himself, then goes with his first decision

Selby takes a huge risk with a planted pot, but he makes it and gets nicely onto the black!

They say you make your own luck and he may just have done there.

But a moment later, there’s confusion as Selby tries to play the cue in behind the black - did it hit?

The referee says it didn’t hit, then word comes that it did.

But no-one’s sure so the ref says:

I’m going to stick with what I saw and I didn’t see it hit.

So that’s a seven-point foul given to Higgins - it’s 47-7.

This frame is still anyone's

A wry smile from Higgins as he gets over-confident before fluffing potting the red and giving Selby a chance to take control of the 31st frame.

It’s Selby’s turn now to show what he can do when his back is against the wall and he races into a 4-0 lead with four reds and four blacks.

The balls are lining up nicely for the Jester from Leicester right now.

If he takes this frame, he’ll only need one more for a third title in four years, but he may just have undone all his good work, potting the blue and missing the brown but seeing the side spin take the cue ball behind the yellow. And all he can do is play the cue ball back into the pack.

46-0 but he’ll know that was a big chance to take the frame in one visit to the table.

672 career centuries now for Higgins

Mark Selby 16-14 John Higgins

This is a masterclass in potting by Higgins, as he puts together a century break of 111 to take the frame 119-0.

The four-time champion has his tail up as he cuts the deficit to two frames.

That’s his 50th century of the season and what a time to get it.

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Just when this final was looking done, Higgins has rallied despite losing 12 frames to two going into these past two frames.

Both players have had to dig deep at different points in this game.

Higgins will feel he has nothing to lose, can Selby hold his nerve?

Higgins isn't done yet in this final!

Another great safety shot by Higgins and Selby hands him the initiative as he’s forced into a double-kiss on the red that sets up a straightforward pot on the red then gets an angle on the black.

Now he can build a break, as he brings some more reds into play.

Another awkward shot sunk by the Scot and he looks much happier than he did just a couple of frames ago.

It’s amazing how some time at the table will do that for these guys.

Is Higgins staging an audacious comeback here?

Selby concedes two fouls at the start of the 30th frame.

Is Higgins’ luck turning here?

We’ve just reached the ten hours mark as the Jester from Leicester plays a great safety shot.

But it’s not enough to halt Higgins, who is building up some momentum of his own late on here.

Still only two centuries in the tie, Selby’s high of 121 and Higgins’ near-perfect 141 clearance in the fourth frame .

Mark Selby 16-13 John Higgins

John Higgins steps up to the table trailing 34-0, but he gets off to a great start with a tremendous pot on a red, followed by a green, then perfect position on two reds, with pink and blue in play.

But he overscrews the cue ball and has to settle for another green.

Higgins needs to make the most of his time at the table, it feels like he’s barely spent any time cueing in the last few frames.

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And he’s doing just that, with some beautiful shot including a perfect screw back on the pink as he puts together a break of 60 before being faced with a tight red right next to the yellow.

If he gets this and any colour the frame is his, and he sinks it, before ending up nicely on the black.

This is Higgins at his best and what a time to deliver. He reaches a break of 88 to win 88-34, leaving the black on the table.

Selby shows no sign of slowing down

After the mid-session interval we’re back underway now, with Mark Selby requiring just two more frames to win a third Crucible in four years.

In case you weren’t paying attention, he was 10-4 down at one point on Sunday, trailing Higgins by six.

But a storming comeback has seen the Jester from Leicester take a firm grasp of this tie and he has an early chance in this frame as a double kiss means Higgins gifts him an easy red.

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Higgins needs something special now

How good has Selby been today?

Mark Selby 16-12 John Higgins

Higgins eventually runs into trouble as he misses the thin cut off the cushion on his attempted safety and not only gives away a foul, but also lets the cue ball run down the table.

Selby has no interest in taking on such a risky pot, so he has the cue ball re-positioned and Higgins will have to try again.

He only has one more chance in this frame surely, if he leaves anything on, Selby will be able to finish this frame off from 64-4.

The Scot goes for a pot, but the red refuses to go down the pocket.

Selby takes a four frame advantage into the mid-session interval, clearing the table with a spring in his step and a smile on his face to win with a final break of 70 and a score of 134-4.

He needs just two more for the title now. It’s 16-12.

This frame is still wide open

Selby pots some difficult shots on his way to a break of 54.

But it’s not enough to put the frame to bed with 75 still remaining on the table and the Leicester man leading 59-4.

Higgins plays the safety, as Selby tries to get the black onto the cushion to minimise the chance of a comeback.

Higgins pots the cue ball

Higgins is caught between two minds as he decides between trying to pot a difficult red or play a containing safety.

Instead, he pots the cue ball!

Selby has his tail up as he looks to go on the front foot by potting, instead of playing the safety.

And he sinks the red!

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Selby with a lucky break as he inadvertently pots the red on a safety play

A foul and a miss by Mark Selby at the outset of this 28th frame after the safety from Higgins and the Scot is happy to see his opponent go again as he banks four points.

This time Selby catches it right and plays a great shot, getting the cue ball in behind the green.

Higgins does well to get out of trouble - the black is over the only pocket where a red would be on, so things are going to get tactical, as both men take it in turns to snooker one another.

Selby has his hand up in apology as he pots a flukey red from a triple cannon. Can he press his advantage form here? It’s 1-4.