Mark Selby Suffers Shock Defeat at World Snooker Championship
In a stunning turn of events, four-time World Snooker Championship winner Mark Selby crashed out of the tournament in the first round, succumbing to a 10-8 defeat at the hands of Ben Woollaston. The 37-year-old Woollaston, ranked 44th in the world, pulled off a remarkable victory at the Crucible, securing a spot in the last 16.
According to a report by the BBC, Woollaston’s win was a major upset, as Selby had held a 5-4 lead after Wednesday’s first session. However, Woollaston dominated Thursday’s play, winning six of the nine frames to claim a thrilling victory. As the BBC notes, "Woollaston, 37, is ranked 44th in the world and had to win two qualifying matches just to get to the main phase of the tournament for only the second time, after losing in round one in 2013."
In the aftermath of the match, Selby expressed his disappointment, telling the BBC, "I didn’t deserve to win. Ben played some great stuff, his safety was unbelievable at times but I still had my chances. It was pathetic really from me. To play like that is disappointing." Selby attributed his loss to trying too hard, stating, "It’s the same old story – I try too hard and stop myself from playing."
The BBC reports that Selby’s defeat marks the second successive year he has lost in round one at the Crucible to a fellow player from Leicester. Last year, he was beaten by Joe O’Connor in 2024. Despite the setback, Selby remains focused on his goals, telling the BBC, "My goal going forward is to win more Triple Crown events."
Woollaston, on the other hand, hailed his victory as the best of his career, as reported by the BBC. "I got to the final of the Welsh Open and my biggest win was beating [Mark] Williams in Wales and it was packed, but this is bigger," he said. Woollaston credited his tactical prowess for the win, adding, "I know I’m pretty good tactically, but Mark [Selby] is the best at that. I stayed pretty tough in the safety battles and that’s what won me the match."
The match itself was a late-night thriller, finishing at 12:07 AM, the latest finish of this year’s tournament so far. As Woollaston progresses to the last 16, he will face 2023 semi-finalist Si Jiahui in a highly anticipated match. With this victory, Woollaston has undoubtedly made a statement in the snooker world, and fans will be eager to see how he performs in the upcoming rounds.
The BBC reports that Woollaston’s win was a significant achievement, given that he had to overcome two qualifying matches just to reach the main phase of the tournament. As the tournament continues, it’s clear that Woollaston will be a force to be reckoned with, and his victory over Selby will go down as one of the biggest upsets of the competition.
For more information on the World Snooker Championship, visit the BBC Sport website, where the original article was first published: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/snooker/articles/ceqrwx23npqo.
