{"id":7536,"date":"2026-04-21T16:12:23","date_gmt":"2026-04-21T16:12:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=7536"},"modified":"2026-04-21T16:12:23","modified_gmt":"2026-04-21T16:12:23","slug":"mark-selby-brushes-off-last-years-crucible-nightmare-as-match-he-couldnt-win","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/news678.top\/?p=7536","title":{"rendered":"Mark Selby brushes off last year’s Crucible nightmare as match he ‘couldn’t win’"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Mark Selby has suffered back-to-back first round defeats at the Crucible (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mark Selby suffered a big upset defeat in the first round of the 2025 World Snooker Championship, but it is no concern to him as he returns, seeing it as a match he couldn\u2019t win.<\/p>\n

Selby arrived in Sheffield last year as one of the favourites after winning the British Open and Welsh Open in a good 2024\/25 season.<\/p>\n

The four-time champion was heavy favourite for his opening contest against fellow Leicester cueist Ben Woollaston, but a big surprise was sprung.<\/p>\n

Selby started the match well, with a century in the first and made a 135 to take a 5-4 lead, but fell to a 10-8 loss after a nightmare second session.<\/p>\n

A split tip was the issue for the Jester from Leicester, which was clearly hugely disappointing at the time, but means he can excuse the defeat rather than feeling scarred by it.<\/p>\n

\u2018Ben played well, taking nothing away from Ben, but first session, I miscued and my tip split,\u2019 Selby explained. \u2018We had a day in between because I think it was an evening-evening, so I went back to the apartment and my friend came up from Nuneaton to put a new tip on and when he took my tip off, he said, \u201coh your ferrule\u2019s loose, I can do it, but I\u2019m going to have to take it off and stick it back on.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Phil has been reporting on snooker for over a decade, since working in World Snooker’s press office in 2012<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

\u2018Unless you put it back on in the same place, it\u2019s always going to play different. I\u2019m sat in the apartment while he\u2019s doing it, just watching him, looking at my cue with no ferrule and no tip. I said to [wife] Vicky at the time, \u201cI can\u2019t win.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Selby cut a frustrated figure at the Crucible last year (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u2018He put it back on, done a good job, bless him, but I went to Victoria\u2019s Academy, had a few shots and it just felt like a totally different cue. <\/p>\n

\u2018Going into the next day I had no confidence whatsoever playing certain shots, especially shots with side, I just didn\u2019t know what I was going to do.<\/p>\n

\u2018Obviously, I tried my hardest to get through, because I thought if I could get through that game, I probably had three or four days and then I\u2019d have just gone back and put a new ferrule on, and that still wouldn\u2019t have been ideal, but at least I still gave myself a chance.<\/p>\n

\u2018It just wasn\u2019t to be, but also at the same time, Ben played good as well, so all credit to him. He can only do what he can do, and that\u2019s just beat the player who\u2019s in front of you, which he did.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Selby beat Judd Trump in this season\u2019s UK Championship final (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The 42-year-old has had another good season, winning the UK Championship, Champion of Champions and Invitational Championship League, although results have been trickier to come by in recent weeks.<\/p>\n

Selby sees it more that he has run into players in great form than his own level has dipped, though, and is confident heading into his 22nd straight Crucible campaign.<\/p>\n

\u2018I feel like I played some good stuff this year, and even when I\u2019ve lost games, sometimes I felt like my opponents have just played brilliant as well,\u2019 he said.<\/p>\n

\u2018For instance, the Tour Championship, 8-5 up against John [Higgins], I feel like I\u2019m playing good. Next minute, I lose 10-8 and basically missed one ball at 9-8 and didn\u2019t really do much wrong.<\/p>\n

\u2018It\u2019s taking somebody playing at the top of their game to beat me. So, as long as I carry on playing somewhere near that kind of form, then I\u2019ll go in there and be confident that I\u2019ve got a chance.\u2019<\/p>\n

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Jak Jones enjoyed a shock run to the Crucible final in 2024 (Picture: Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The world number seven has a tricky test in round one against 2024 finalist Jak Jones, although he has given up caring who he is drawn against.<\/p>\n

\u2018Over the years I used to look at the draw and think, \u201cI don\u2019t want him, don\u2019t want him, don\u2019t want him, don\u2019t mind him, don\u2019t mind him,\u201d but I\u2019m past caring now,\u2019 he said. <\/p>\n

\u2018I\u2019m coming to try and win the tournament, so I\u2019m not coming here to just get past the first round and if I lose in the last 16, I\u2019m happy. If you come here to win, you\u2019ve got five tough matches, whoever they are. <\/p>\n

\u2018Obviously Jak\u2019s going to be a tough game, goes without saying, former World finalist, used to be a seed here just last year. But at the same time, it sort of makes your job easier because I know that if I don\u2019t go out there and play good snooker, I\u2019m going home.\u2019<\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/svg>MORE: Hossein Vafaei speaks out on challenge of playing on during Iran war<\/span><\/p>\n

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Arrow<\/title>\n<\/svg>MORE: How to beat Ronnie O\u2019Sullivan, reveals a man who knows how<\/span><\/p>\n
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The Table<\/h4>\n

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Mark Selby brushes off last year’s Crucible nightmare as match he ‘couldn’t win’
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#Mark #Selby #brushes #years #Crucible #nightmare #match #couldnt #win<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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