Snooker news: WST to punish star, Mark Allen latest, Stephen Hendry ‘unhappy’
There have been plenty of snooker headlines over the last few days, with attention switching to the upcoming tournaments after the British Open and English Open took place earlier this month. Qualifying is currently underway for the Scottish Open, which is pencilled in for just before Christmas, while the International Championship qualifiers were played last week.
The main tournament will take place in China, where a number of other events are on the horizon. Later this month, the Shenzen Open will get underway, with the likes of Ronnie O’Sullivan and Judd Trump set to be involved. It will be followed by other high-profile events like the Northern Ireland Open and the non-ranking Champion of Champions before the end of the year.
Matthew Selt looks set to be handed a fine by the World Snooker Tour (WST) after forfeiting the final frame of his International Championship qualifier against Ross Muir.
With the latter leading 5-2 in the eighth frame of the best-of-11 encounter, Selt racked up 51 points before missing a red into the corner pocket.
As his opponent approached to the table and started weighing up his next shot, Selt decided to forfeit the frame and therefore hand victory to Muir.
Players are typically fined by the WST for conceding frames, so the 41-year-old can expect a financial punishment in the near future.
Mark Allen latest
Mark Allen’s lengthy absence from the snooker table has sparked concern, with the Northern Irishman having pulled out of the International Championship and the Shenzhen Open.
He hasn’t played a competitive match since the World Championship, citing personal reasons for his recent withdrawals.
Mark Allen hasn’t played a competitive match since the World Championship
He has previously battled depression and endured turbulent times away from the table with bankruptcy, maintenance issues and divorce proceedings.
Stephen Hendry ‘unhappy’
Stephen Hendry wasn’t impressed with Stan Moody’s frustrated body language during his defeat to Liam Highfield in the British Open quarter-finals.
The seven-time world champion said: “I wasn’t happy with his attitude in the match he lost to Highfield. I don’t know whether the speed at which Highfield was playing was getting to Moody,.
“Every time the camera went to him in his chair, the body language wasn’t great. He’s got something, he’s got something about him that I like. He’s cocky, which you need [to be].
“I don’t mind cocky at all, but you’ve still got to realise that other players are entitled to play the way he wants to play. It’s just about you and the table, basically forgetting what your opponent’s doing.
Matthew Selt forfeited the frame and therefore the match against Ross Muir
Matthew Selt forfeited the frame and therefore the match against Ross Muir
Matthew Selt looks set to be handed a fine by the World Snooker Tour (WST) after forfeiting the final frame of his International Championship qualifier against Ross Muir. The two players went up against each other at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester for a place in the tournament proper, which is being held in Nanjing, China, later this year.
Selt made a promising start by drawing first blood in the opening frame, but Muir surged ahead by claiming the next four to build a commanding lead. The next two frames were shared, leaving the score at 5-2 heading into the eighth of the match, when Selt earned 51 points before missing a red into the corner pocket.
As his opponent approached to the table and started weighing up his next shot, Selt decided to forfeit the frame and therefore hand victory to Muir.
Players are typically fined for conceding frames, whether deliberate or accidental. Earlier this year, Neil Robertson faced punishment after a bizarre mistake during his first-round match against Pang Junxu at the World Championship.
Robertson was at the table in the second frame, trailing 57-10 with three reds still on the table, when he missed on the black. He informed the referee he was conceding, but it quickly became apparent that he had got his maths wrong.
The referee explained that Robertson was 47 points behind and there were still 51 points left on the table. When the score appeared on screen, the Aussie admitted: “Ah, I miscalculated the score.”
BBC commentator Ken Doherty, who initially thought Robertson conceded the frame out of frustration, said: “£250, that cost him. It was totally out of character, I couldn’t believe it.”
Selt is likely to receive a similar punishment, though it remains to be seen if he will be fined more than £250 given the deliberate nature of his forfeited frame against Muir.
He was previously fined £10,000 for aggressive and abusive behaviour at last year’s Saudi Masters, where he was deemed “rude and abusive in his language towards a Matchroom Senior Executive”.
Selt was also charged with sending an abusive text message to a World Professional Billiards and Snooker Association (WPBSA) member. He admitted wrongdoing and apologised to those involved.
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