Chris Wakelin dethrones Mark Selby to win opening group at the 2026 Champion of Champions snooker

Wakelin won the opening day’s group in the prestigious £440,000 invitational at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester after defeating fellow top 16 exponents Barry Hawkins and Mark Selby.

Featuring in the tournament for the second time in his career by virtue of claiming the Scottish Open crown last December, Wakelin began his campaign with a 4-1 victory over Hawkins in the afternoon session.

Welsh Open title holder Hawkins deposited the first frame with the aid of a 69 break, but Wakelin strung together the next four frames - featuring runs of 56, 51 and 117 - to record his maiden Champion of Champions match victory.

Earlier in the afternoon, reigning champion and home hero Selby got his title defence underway with a narrow 4-3 win over Alfie Burden.

Having missed a relatively straightforward black to take the opening frame, Shoot Out champion Burden subsequently sank the same ball from distance a few moments later before Selby secured the following three frames (breaks of 83 and 62) to assume control at 3-1 up.

Burden rallied, though, producing a sparkling stint with efforts of 99 and 109 to level up and force a decider, however it was Selby who eventually progressed after a 95 in the final frame.

The result means that Selby continues his 100% winning record over Burden in professional competition; he’s emerged the victor all 10 times they’ve played.

Former practise partners Selby and Wakelin returned for the evening's best-of-11 group final that turned out to be a largely protracted affair with four frames each taking more than 30 minutes to complete.

Wakelin's run of 54 in the opener was the only half-century in the first five frames, and it was the 34-year-old who established a 4-1 lead.

Selby's most fluent period of the tie came in frame six as he reduced his arrears courtesy of a 70, but Wakelin collected the next two frames to get the job done, dethrone the champion, and guarantee himself at least £30,000 in prize money.

On the whole it has been an uneventful season, so far, for world number 12 Wakelin, with his only previous quarter-final appearance having come at the Shenzhen Open, last month.

The Englishman - who is back using his old cue because his new one got damaged - will meet the winner of Tuesday’s group that starts with Neil Robertson v Panchaya Channoi and Judd Trump v Jak Jones in the afternoon. Again, the winners of those fixtures will then share the baize in the evening.

To view the full draw, results, schedule, and other information from the 2026 Champion of Champions, visit our tournament information centre here.