Mark Selby 'unbelievable' amid confidence struggles at British Open

09/26/2024 04:58 AM

Mark Selby is scrapping through tight games at the British Open, despite former world champion Ken Doherty saying it is clear he is struggling for confidence.

The Jester from Leicester beat Pang Junxu 4-3 on the final black in his opening game in Cheltenham and then edged past Yuan Sijun in a decider in round three on Wednesday night.

The four-time world champion managed just one half-century in his seven frames against Yuan, so is clearly not at his best, but his ability to battle it out to victory is second to none.

Seven-time world champ Stephen Hendry was amazed by how Selby scrapped back from a perilous position in the final frame on Wednesday night.

‘How has Mark Selby got himself out of this?’ Hendry wondered on ITV as Selby cleared up.

‘It’s been another strange performance, you have to say. But he just keeps doing this. He’s unbelievable.’

Doherty feels the world number five is clearly lacking in confidence, but however he is feeling, his work ethic never wavers.

‘He just never gives in, he’s got a great appetite for sticking in even when the chips are down and you have to scrape him off the table,’ said Doherty. ‘It’s a wonderful attribute to have.

‘It’s great when all the balls are going in, everything is going swimmingly well and the game looks great, but when it’s not, when your confidence is low, like it is, it’s very evident looking at Mark Selby tonight that his confidence is not high whatsoever, that he still digs in and finds a way to win. He’s a great champion.’

The 41-year-old has not had a disastrous start to the season, with a semi-final run at the Shanghai Masters and quarter-final appearance at last week’s English Open, but those performances don’t satisfy a former world number one.

His exit from Brentwood last week was especially disappointing as he was downed in a dramatic decider by significant underdog Ishpreet Singh Chadha.

Selby’s last ranking title came in March last year at the WST Classic and he will continue his bid for a 23rd against either Ricky Walden or Thepchaiya Un-Nooh on Thursday night.

For more stories like this, check our sport page.

Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.