Mark Selby has received an official response from the World Snooker Tour (WST) after he criticised the 'horrific' state of the Crucible table following his 13-11 defeat to China's Wu Yize in the World Championship. The four-time champion 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.
Selby's Frustration
Selby paid homage to his younger opponent and admitted he was far from his best. However, when it came to 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.'
He added: '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.'
WST Response
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.'
Praise for Wu Yize
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.'
