Mark Selby was beaten by Chinese prospect Wu Yize in the World Snooker Championship on Monday – but he was not happy with the conditions at the Crucible
Mark Selby criticised the ‘horrific’ state of the Crucible table after crashing out of the World Championship in a 13-11 defeat to China’s Wu Yize. Four-time champion Selby drew on his years of experience to push the 22-year-old rising star all the way but ultimately cut a frustrated figure as Wu held his nerve to book his place in the last eight.
The 22-year-old Chinese star overcame him 13-11 to reach the quarter-finals at the Crucible. Selby did win two frames in a row towards the end to move from 12-9 down to 12-11, but a scrappy final frame but both players ended with Wu getting himself over the line.
Selby paid homage to his younger opponent and admitted he was far from his best. But when it came to himself and the conditions at the Crucible, he said: “I felt like I only played well really in the first session. I played good in the first session, then after that I just missed ball-after-ball.
“Wu’s long game was good, I felt like his safety was good but neither of us really scored that well. Just too many silly errors really. Whether it was a lapse in concentration, I am not sure, I felt like the conditions were atrocious really in both matches.
“The cushions were really bouncing. The table got re-covered last night and I felt like it played no better than the other sessions. That is no excuse, I still missed silly balls and didn’t deserve to win, really.”
JOIN US ON FACEBOOK! All the best sports news and much more on our dedicated Facebook page
READ MORE: Ronnie O’Sullivan forced to cancel flight out of UK as snooker icon left in state of ‘shock’READ MORE: Ronnie O’Sullivan outburst after losing World Championship decider to John Higgins
A World Snooker Tour spokesperson said in response: “There are always challenges in providing the best possible conditions for players as there are many factors which affect this.
“Our dedicated team of table-fitters work tirelessly in delivering the best possible conditions and they are constantly monitoring the tables. We have systems in place where players can give feedback after every match.”
On Yize, Selby said: “He’s great for our game, he’s great to watch and very, very attacking. Some of the balls he took on against me, I’m not sure they were the right shot, but they were going in. He’s still young and loving the game.
“I think he’s a world champion in the making. Who knows? It could be this year, but I do think he’ll probably win it at some stage.
“I don’t think he played great in that match but some of the standards he plays to when he gets on a bit of a run, he’s hard to stop.”
Sky Sports, HBO Max, Netflix and Disney+ with Ultimate TV package
Sky has upgraded its Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle to now include HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu, as well as 135 channels and full Sky coverage of the Premier League and EFL.
Sky broadcasts more than 1,400 live matches across the Premier League, EFL and more with at least 215 live from the top flight alongside Formula 1, darts and golf.
