There's pressure on everyone, of course, at the Grand Prix but especially so for Mark Selby.
I note that some bookies have him second favourite for the world title next year, even though he is drawn in the same quarter as the tournament favourite, Ronnie O'Sullivan.
Selby hasn't been in a ranking event semi-final for a year and is down to tenth in the provisional rankings.
This doesn't add up to a crisis but is certainly food for thought.
I'm a fan of his, both as a player and a professional. He couldn't have played any better against John Higgins at the Crucible this year but lost out in, to say the least, dramatic circumstances.
But for that he could well be world champion. However, sport is littered with what ifs...
Selby has become a very solid match player but in Glasgow he plays another one in the shape of a resurgent Ken Doherty, just the sort of draw he wouldn't have wanted.
The list is so tightly packed that a first round defeat could leave his top 16 place in doubt, although it's worth remembering he got zero points from last season's Bahrain Championship through no fault of his own.
Even so, for a player tipped by many as a likely mainstay of the top four Selby needs a good run to restore confidence and send himself back up the rankings.
2 comments:
Yes, he must win a tournament this season. I'm a big Selby fan and it's disappointing. I seriously didn't think he would lose to Higgins. He must do it soon to stop this slump.
As oppose to being in a slump i think he managed to produce an extraordinary run of form for 18 months and is now performing at his usual match level- a ranking about 10-16 is about right for him.
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