Mark Selby was left seething after a stunning 10-8 defeat to his friend Ben Woollaston in the first round of the World Snooker Championship. The four-time champion, who was one of the favorites to take the title, succumbed to an unexpected loss, following in the footsteps of defending champion Kyren Wilson and 2010 winner Neil Robertson, both of whom were eliminated early.
Selby’s exit came as a bitter disappointment, particularly as it marked the second consecutive year in which he was knocked out in the first round by a player from Leicester, after his loss to Joe O’Connor last year. Woollaston, who has not competed at the Crucible since 2013, played a composed and strategic game to seal his place in the second round. At 37, Woollaston is ranked No. 44 in the world and displayed a remarkable performance, overcoming the pressure of competing against his long-time friend.
Selby was notably frustrated throughout the match, and his emotions boiled over at the end of the 13th frame. After leaving the yellow ball over the pocket, which meant he needed snookers, Selby threw the ball across the table in anger before storming out of the arena. He later admitted that his performance was disappointing, saying, “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 reflected on his tendency to try too hard, which he believes hinders his performance.
In contrast, Woollaston remained calm and focused, even as he maintained a slender lead throughout the match. After an overnight lead of 5-4, Woollaston extended his advantage to 7-6 after the mid-session interval. The next two frames were evenly contested, but Woollaston held his nerve and went 9-7 ahead. Although Selby fought back to pull one frame back, Woollaston secured the win with a 10-8 result, marking one of the biggest victories of his career.
Woollaston’s triumph was all the more significant given the health struggles he has faced in recent years. After receiving a Covid vaccination nearly four years ago, he experienced blackouts and severe fatigue, which caused him to sleep for up to 20 hours a day. He also put on weight due to his lack of physical activity. Despite these challenges, Woollaston has fought his way back to top form and made an impressive run in the tournament.
In another first-round match, 2023 champion Luca Brecel made a dramatic comeback to beat Ryan Day 10-7. Brecel was down 5-1 after the opening session, but he fought back with some strong performances in the second half of the match. After narrowing the gap to 5-4 on Wednesday, he gained the upper hand on Thursday, winning three frames in succession to take a 7-6 lead. Although Day briefly leveled the match at 7-7, Brecel edged ahead again and clinched victory with a tight win in the 16th frame.
Brecel’s victory marks an important milestone, as it is the first match he has won at the Crucible since his surprise title run in 2023. He described his resilience during the match, saying, “Even at 5-1 down, I still felt OK and relaxed. I never really panic, especially here, as it’s so long. I’ve made so many comebacks here, so it wasn’t surprising.” Brecel will face Ding Junhui in the second round.
Meanwhile, Mark Allen found himself in trouble in his second-round match against Chris Wakelin. After falling behind 2-0, Allen steadied his play with a break of 100, but a missed red allowed Wakelin to extend his lead to 3-1. Wakelin continued to impress with solid breaks, building a 6-2 advantage at the end of the session.
In the ongoing second-round matches, John Higgins was locked in a tight battle with Xiao Guodong, with the pair tied at 4-4. Xiao, one of the most improved players of the season, is one of six Chinese players to have reached the second round, further highlighting the growing strength of Chinese snooker.
