World Championship: Luca Brecel ‘bang in trouble’ as Mark Selby ‘back with a vengeance’, say Jimmy White & Alan McManus

Alan McManus and Jimmy White lauded Mark Selby’s magnificent 147 against Luca Brecel and believe the world No. 2 is back to his brilliant best.

“He’s back with a vengeance,” McManus told Eurosport.

“This is a match to win the World Championship; a lot of people coming into this session tonight were thinking, wrongly, that he was kind of out of it. He’s not out of it now, one frame is the difference and he keeps on producing. You think he’s going to go away quietly, but that’s not the way he rolls.”

This was echoed by White, who feels Selby has really found his groove at the right time and believes the signs are looking ominous for Brecel’s slender lead.

“He’s firing on all cylinders now. He nearly made that last black to try and hold for the yellow, and it was almost an impossible shot, the maximum.

“The shackles are off with him. Okay, he may have been a bit tired in the morning, but the type of game that Luca plays, he thought that I’d have to start attacking and all of a sudden now his A-game is there.

“He’s always going to have his tactical side, and is always going to have the right shot selection. But now he’s scoring, and that fabulous 147. Luca is one frame in front, but is bang in trouble I’m afraid.”

The duo spoke in more detail about the black to the last red and McManus highlighted the immense composure which Selby showed within the break.

“If you get ball in hand, that’s exactly where you put it if you’ve got the rest, down the cushion, with a perfect pace,” he explained.

“You need to just to get a hint of angle to stun it in, and get on no problem for the yellow. It was a sensational break and a smart one as well.

“Jimmy touched on the fact he always plays the correct shot. It was the correct move, the way the tables are playing, do not try to lift that last red, because if he got in behind it, as he did, the rest was in the bag. You knew then it was going to happen.”

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