World Snooker Championship 2023: Mark Selby wows Matthew Selt with safety escape labelled ‘shot of the championship’

Matthew Selt declared a fantastic safety escape by Mark Selby as the best shot of the 2023 World Championship.

Trailing 8-6 in the first-round match, Selt looked to have put Selby in a very difficult position as he played tightly up behind the brown after potting a long red.

With red balls clustered around the other end of the table it looked a challenge for Selby to get out without leaving a pot on.

But the four-time champion showed his class as he hit the white off three cushions – narrowly passing behind the back of the pink on the way – and rolled into a red.

The safety shot wowed Selt, who exclaimed: “That’s the shot of the championship over!”

Eurosport commentator Neal Foulds was also impressed.

“That’s a brilliant shot to go round the back of the pink and hit that red, it really is,” he said. “It was a brilliant shot, a great escape.

“There might be better pots but as far as escapes go it was right up there.”

The safety shot almost paid immediate dividends for Selby as Selt’s next shot left a plant on.

Selby went for the shot but the red into the corner narrowly missed.

Selby did take the frame, though, to move 9-6 ahead and close on a place in the second round.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, Selby said he felt he was playing well and outlined his ambitions to win more world titles.

“It would be nice to get one more and be out on my own with five, but if I don’t win it again I’m not going to be devastated.

“To win it four times is incredible really. If I were to win one more I’d be happy, but I suppose if I am here next year and I have won it, I’d say ‘I’d like to get six’ and if you get six you want seven.”

Ronnie O’Sullivan and Stephen Hendry are joint-record holders on seven while Selby is tied on four with John Higgins.

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