World Grand Prix snooker: Mark Selby beats Ali Carter in decider to set up quarter-final clash with Judd Trump

Mark Selby beat Ali Carter in a deciding frame to book his place in the quarter-finals of the World Grand Prix.

In a match that swung this way and that, Selby made five 50-plus breaks, including a 798th century of his career, to get over the line and set up a mouth-watering clash with Judd Trump.

Selby, who admitted he “didn’t deserve” to beat Yuan Sijun in the first round, clinched the opening frame after forcing a mistake from his opponent with some trademark pinpoint safety.

The four-time world champion made a break of 62 and although he missed frame ball, Carter managed just a point in response.

Selby looked set to double his advantage in the next after splitting the pack to perfection on 50 but he missed an “unforgivable” red to hand Carter an unlikely chance, and ‘The Captain’ took full advantage to draw level courtesy of a break of 66.

The third was a scrappier affair. A break of 29 gave Carter a slender lead before a safety battle ensued and it was Selby who broke the stalemate with a stunning long red.

But with another frame at his mercy, an uncharacteristic miss allowed Carter in for a steal that took him 2-1 ahead.

A brilliant 105 brought Selby back level at 2-2 and he moved within one of victory with a break of 62 in the next before Carter set up a deciding frame with his first century of the match.

The Captain had the first chance but was left to rue a miss on a straightforward red that was punished by Selby, who will play Trump next in what promises to be a blockbuster encounter.

“These best of sevens you just want to get off to a good start and that’s what I did then missed an unforgivable red into the middle,” Selby told ITV. “Sometimes you sit in your chair and wonder if that’s the turning point in the match but thankfully for me it wasn’t and I managed to pull myself together.”

On his upcoming match with Trump, he added: “I look forward to it. Judd is one of the all-time greats himself so it’s always a tough game. You know if you don’t play your best game you’re going home.”

On the other table, Trump completed a rapid whitewash victory over Lyu Haotian.

He wasn’t at his clinical best but benefitted from an odd pattern that emerged to make another quarter-final as he bids for a fourth ranking title of the season.

Trailing Trump in the first three frames, Lyu broke down on the final red on each occasion to give the three-time Grand Prix champion an unassailable lead.

A break of 72 in the fourth frame sealed Trump’s progress.