World number one Mark Selby has proved yet again that alongside the big breaks he can win ugly when it matters – a trait which has become his trademark down the years.
He’s through to the last 16 of the European Masters in Lommel and is looking to reach his first quarter-final after a slow start to the campaign.
He put in masterclass performance to beat Zhao Xintong 4-1 with a string of four centuries (120,116, 127 and 131), but snooker cannot always be played to this fine standard.
In his next match against an impressive 19-year old Lyu Haotian, he found himself 3-2 down before coming back to win in a dramatic deciding frame.
Comebacks like this are nothing new to Selby who is dubbed by the snooker community as the master of brinkmanship due to his track record for a pulling out victories from seemingly irreversible positions.
@markjesterselby steals the frame with a sensational break! And this red... đ
#888EuroMasters
Selby is snooker’s hottest property right now with a colossal lead at the top of the world rankings and having won three world titles in the past four years. But by his own very high standards, he has not really got going this season. Coming into this event, he was 51st in the one-year ranking and searching for his best form.
The signs here are good as he couples fine break-building skill with that steely determination when it’s not all plain-sailing.
If Selby can get his hands on his first title of the season it will set him up perfectly for the defence of the UK Championship which is coming in a little under two months.
