FULL PRODUCT VERSION :
reproducible with JDK 8u40, 8u65

ADDITIONAL OS VERSION INFORMATION :
Microsoft Windows [Version 6.1.7601]

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
One may expect that TableView.clearAndSelect() behaves exactly like TableView.clearSelection() followed by TableView.select(rownum), but this is unfortunately not the case when cell selection / multiselection is enabled on the table. Moreover TableView.clearAndSelect() has no effect on such table, where clear + select perform like expected. See the test case.

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
1) Start the test case
2) select "Author3" and "Remark4"
3) press button "clearAndSelect(0)"

Expected: first line is selected alone
Result: no change in selection

The second button ("clear && select(0)") performs like expected. According to java doc and common sense the actions should be equivalent.

EXPECTED VERSUS ACTUAL BEHAVIOR :
EXPECTED -
first line is selected alone
ACTUAL -
no change in selection

REPRODUCIBILITY :
This bug can be reproduced always.

---------- BEGIN SOURCE ----------
Book.java:
package de.lexcom.tableview;

import javafx.beans.property.SimpleStringProperty;

public class Book {
    private SimpleStringProperty title = new SimpleStringProperty();
    private SimpleStringProperty author = new SimpleStringProperty();
    private SimpleStringProperty remark = new SimpleStringProperty();

    public Book(String title, String author, String remark) {
        super();
        setTitle(title);
        setAuthor(author);
        setRemark(remark);
    }

    public SimpleStringProperty titleProperty() {
        return this.title;
    }

    public java.lang.String getTitle() {
        return this.titleProperty().get();
    }

    public void setTitle(final java.lang.String title) {
        this.titleProperty().set(title);
    }

    public SimpleStringProperty authorProperty() {
        return this.author;
    }

    public java.lang.String getAuthor() {
        return this.authorProperty().get();
    }

    public void setAuthor(final java.lang.String author) {
        this.authorProperty().set(author);
    }

    public SimpleStringProperty remarkProperty() {
        return this.remark;
    }

    public java.lang.String getRemark() {
        return this.remarkProperty().get();
    }

    public void setRemark(final java.lang.String remark) {
        this.remarkProperty().set(remark);
    }

    @Override
    public String toString() {
        return String.format("%s(%s) - %s", getTitle(), getAuthor(), getRemark());
    }
}




FXTableViewExample2.java:
package de.lexcom.tableview;

import javafx.application.Application;
import javafx.collections.FXCollections;
import javafx.scene.Scene;
import javafx.scene.control.Button;
import javafx.scene.control.SelectionMode;
import javafx.scene.control.TableColumn;
import javafx.scene.control.TableView;
import javafx.scene.control.ToolBar;
import javafx.scene.control.cell.PropertyValueFactory;
import javafx.scene.layout.VBox;
import javafx.stage.Stage;

public class FXTableViewExample2 extends Application {
    public static void main(String [] args) {
        Application.launch(args);
    }

    private TableView<Book> table;

    @Override
    public void start(Stage primaryStage) {

        primaryStage.setTitle("Table View Example 1");

        Button select1 = new Button("clearAndSelect(0)");
        Button select2 = new Button("clear && select(0)");
        ToolBar toolbar = new ToolBar(select1, select2);

        // Table view, data, columns and properties
        table = new TableView<>();
        Book books[] = {
                new Book("Book 1", "Author 1", "Remark 1")
                , new Book("Book 2", "Author 2", "Remark 2")
                , new Book("Book 3", "Author 3", "Remark 3")
                , new Book("Book 4", "Author 4", "Remark 4")
        };
        table.setItems(FXCollections.observableArrayList());
        table.getItems().addAll(books);

        String[] columns = {
            "title", "author", "remark"
        };
        for (String prop : columns) {
            TableColumn<Book, String> col = new TableColumn<>(prop);
            col.setCellValueFactory(new PropertyValueFactory<>(prop));
            table.getColumns().add(col);
        }
        table.setColumnResizePolicy(TableView.UNCONSTRAINED_RESIZE_POLICY);
        table.getSelectionModel().setSelectionMode(SelectionMode.MULTIPLE);
        table.getSelectionModel().setCellSelectionEnabled(true);

        final VBox vbox = new VBox(20);
        vbox.getChildren().addAll(toolbar, table);

        select1.setOnAction((event) -> {
            table.getSelectionModel().clearAndSelect(0);
        });
        select2.setOnAction((event) -> {
            table.getSelectionModel().clearSelection();
            table.getSelectionModel().select(0);
        });

        // Scene
        Scene scene = new Scene(vbox, 500, 475);
        primaryStage.setScene(scene);
        primaryStage.show();
    }
}

---------- END SOURCE ----------

CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
Use .clearSelection() followed by .select(...)