Snooker star fires off 'brain-dead' rant at Masters after swinging cue in rage over missed pot

Snooker star fires off 'brain-dead' rant at Masters after swinging cue in rage over missed pot

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Stuart Ballard

By Stuart Ballard


Published: 11/01/2024

- 09:42

Updated: 11/01/2024

- 09:44

Mark Selby was not happy with private section of the Masters crowd during his first-round match.

Mark Selby has called it "brain-dead" that the VIP Century Club section at the Alexandra Palace hasn't been soundproofed after he was distracted while attempting to pot a red in his first-round match at the Masters.

Selby cruised into the quarter-finals of the Masters after a relatively comfortable victory over Robert Milkins on Wednesday.


But the former world No 1 lost his mind in the fourth frame when there was a clattering sound in the audience that appeared to make him miss an easy red into the bottom right pocket.

Selby jumped up and furiously swung his cue toward where the noise came from before returning to his chair.

Mark Selby swung his cue in direction of the disruption

Mark Selby swung his cue in direction of the disruption

EUROSPORT

Milkins failed to take advantage of Selby's mishap as the world No 5 opened up a 4-0 lead.

And Selby eventually wrapped the match up to beat his compatriot 6-1, although speaking after the match he was still clearly furious about the incident in the fourth frame.

He said: "I’m on my way through, it's not as if I’m on my back swing. Somebody’s just dropped like cutlery on a plate, as loud as you want!

"It’s great having to have that Century Club there. I think it’s amazing.

"I was up there the day before. But how can they not soundproof it? It’s brain-dead. I don’t understand!

"People are paying a lot of money to go up there and it’s great that people can go.

"If they’re paying a lot of money, you want them to have a good time, have a drink and stuff, which is fine.

"But you shouldn’t be able to hear the noise, no matter how much noise they make.

Mark Selby was furious at the disruption

Mark Selby was furious at the disruption

GETTY

"It’s quite close to the table. The referee said he could hear quite a lot of chatting.

"I was so frustrated, because I’m playing that. I knew it was a big frame, and I’m thinking if I pot that, the way I was playing, I fancy winning the frame, and 4-0 or 3-1 is massive.

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Mark Selby managed to beat Rob Wilkins 6-1

Mark Selby managed to beat Rob Wilkins 6-1

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"I was lucky, I got away with it.

"This game, it can switch on one ball.

"If I’d have missed that and stuck it up, and Rob goes 3-1, who’s to say, he comes out after the interval, I miss a few, it could be the turning point in the match. Key things like that are big."

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