Selby: I will have to raise my performance to beat ex-city housemate
JESTER TO FACE ROBERTSON IN QUARTER-FINALS
MARK Selby admits he’ll have to raise his game to get past former housemate Neil Robertson and keep his dream of a hat-trick of UK Championship titles alive, writes Tom Harle of Sportsbeat.
The three-time world champion lived with Robertson in Leicester for six months when he arrived in England from Australia and the pair have shared many a classic match since.
Selby was edged out 6-5 in a thriller at last month’s Champion of Champions, but had his day with a 13-7 victory in the quarter-finals at August’s World Championships.
The Jester hopes for another cracking contest when the two players meet in the quarter-finals in the World Snooker bubble at the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes.
“We’ve played out some great games – not just this year, but whenever we’ve played,” said the 37-yearold.
“There won’t be any fans there but hopefully it’s good to watch on the TV and we get another good match.
“I will draw on confidence from the Crucible.
“I feel as though I played well there and controlled the match.
“I felt my safety was good and I didn’t really give him a chance.
“His long game’s as good as anyone in the game and if you leave one ball sticking out, it could be frame over.
“I thought at the Worlds my safety was as good as it could have been.
“I’ll need to play somewhere similar to how I did against Barry (Hawkins), if not a little bit better.
“Neil hasn’t won a tournament yet, but he’s knocking on the door.
“The chance of a third title is still on the line, I’ve still got a chance.”
Of the pair’s 35 meetings down the years, Selby has won 19 and Robertson 16.
The world No.5 was close to his best in beating another close friend in Barry Hawkins in the last 16.
Selby reeled off three century breaks, including 121 in the first frame, to get past the Kent cueman 6-3 and seal a spot in the last eight.
“I felt really good going into the match,” said Selby.
“I feel as though I’m confident with my snooker at the moment.
“It was always going to be a tough game playing Barry – he’s a good friend and a class player himself, so it was tough.
“We put the friendship aside and tried our hardest to win, and I was delighted to get the win.”
Big names like Ronnie O’Sullivan and reigning champion Ding Junhui are no longer in the draw with either Jack Lisowski or Zhou Yuelong awaiting the winner in the semi-finals.
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