Even the most granite snooker star of all time is not immune to life’s biggest questions, writes Atte Husu.
Atte Husuurheilu reporter
The World Snooker tournament has started surprisingly. Defending World Champion Luca Brecel flew into the choir right on the opening day of the Games on Saturday. On Sunday, the Belgian was joined by a Chinese who played a top season Zhang Anda.
Sunday’s biggest focus was on the English sports legend To Mark Selby. The Leicester native lost the opening period of his first round match To Joe O’Connor the ugliest 2–7 reading and is almost certainly out of the continuation.
Selby’s words showed the uncertainty of the entire Sunday. He was able to complete only one hitting streak of more than 50 points in nine innings.
At the time of writing this text, Selby still has a chance to win, as ten wins are required for a place in the second round. However, nothing seen so far supports the idea of Selby’s rise.
Shocking news in the background
Selby has been a shadow of what he is used to seeing in the holiest of snooker circuses, the Crucible Theater known as the absolute pressure cooker. Selby has seen performances there, based on which the Crucible has been regarded as his home ground.
Long matches, where players’ abilities are tested more comprehensively than anywhere else, are as if made for Selby.
There hasn’t been a player like Selby in the history of the sport. He has won world championships, although he hasn’t come close to his best level in many matches. Dominating all aspects of competitive snooker, the backbone of Selby’s game is unparalleled nerve control.
On Sunday, Selby exuded suffering. Its origins go back to the beginning of 2023, when Selby’s wife, a top name in pool billiards Vikki from Selby breast cancer was found. The two did not tell the public about the illness until now in February of this year.
Before this, the only indication of health concerns was seen in last year’s World Cup final, when Brecel gave his victory speech.
– I don’t know if I should say this, but stay strong, Vikki, the Belgian champion said.
Too much mental ballast
World Cup final match, with the first maximum break in history. Two ranking tournament finals, one of which was won. The victory in the Champions League series and the 11th player with the most prize points this season.
That’s a few of Selby’s achievements from January 2023. Since then, his priorities in life have been somewhere else than the snooker table.
To be fair, it’s hard to imagine any other player who could present such a tournament CV in such a situation.
Selby’s history adds to the mental burden. The player’s father died of cancer in 1999, when Selby was only 16 years old. The last wish of the father, who literally breathed snooker, was that his son would one day become the world champion of the sport. The boy has done the work as ordered – four times in total.
However, success has taken its toll. 40-year-old Selby has spoken openly about having suffered from depression, the roots of which go back to childhood and the loss of parents – Selby’s mother abandoned her family when Selby was 8 years old.
Snooker has been an escape for Selby, but the relationship with the sport has been built on an unhealthy foundation.
If this wasn’t enough, Vikki Selby’s best friend also died of breast cancer in January at only 44 years old.
When all of the above is put into the same equation and the demandingness of snooker as a mentally brutal sport is added, everyone has their breaking point. Even with the most nervous player of all time.
One can only imagine what kind of animal Selby would hatch on the gaming table, if the most important things in life fell into place in the near future.