World champion Selby survives first round scare

Mark Selby kept the "Curse of the Crucible" at bay but only just as he launched the defence of his World Championship title with a dramatic 10-9 first-round win over qualifier Kurt Maflin on Saturday.

It had looked as if Selby, who beat five-times champion Ronnie O'Sullivan to win a maiden world crown last year, was easing to an opening-day victory as he went 8-4 up in the best of 19 frames match at the Crucible Theatre.

However, the London-born but Oslo-based Maflin had other ideas, winning five frames in a row to lead 9-8 and be on the brink of a sensational upset before Selby fought back.

"This is the hardest tournament in the world to win," Selby told the BBC.

"At 8-8, I felt I was not going to win," the Englishman, bidding to win back-to-back major tournaments for the first time in his career following his success at the China Open earlier this month, added.

"Everything I tried to do, I felt it was just not going to be my match but thankfully I got through."

His victory meant Selby avoided, for the time being at least, the so-called "Curse of the Crucible" which has seen no first-time champion successfully defend the world title the following year since the tournament moved to the Sheffield venue, in northern England, back in 1977.

Indeed a quartet of first-time defending champions -- Steve Davis, Denis Taylor, Graeme Dott and Australia's Neil Robertson -- had all lost in the first round on their Crucible return.

The 31-year-old Selby came close to joining their ranks before Maflin, whom he played against as a junior, failed to make the most of a chance in the 18th frame and, crucially, missed a red in the decider.

Despite Maflin's breaks of 96, 60 and 88, Selby led 6-3 at the end of Saturday's morning session with no hint of the drama to come.

And when Selby went four frames clear with a total clearance of 124, victory looked a formality for the world number one.

But Maflin rallied before Selby's greater experience of high-profile matches told in the end.  

"I had a chance in the decider, didn't take it and he deserved to win," said Maflin, who came through three rounds of qualifying.

"He (Selby) is so tough to beat and he was the better player on the day.

"I was quite calm out there all day. I'm happy, I just wish it had gone the other way."

Meanwhile Hong Kong's Marco Fu edged 5-4 in front of England's Jimmy Robertson in a match that will be played to a finish on Sunday.

In other first-round ties, debutant Anthony McGill established a surprise 6-3 lead over Stephen Maguire, his fellow Scot, with the winner playing Selby in the second round on Thursday.

Four-times world champion John Higgins, also of Scotland, led England's Robert Milkins 6-3 while Dott, another Scot and the 2006 title-winner was 5-4 up against Ricky Walden.
Source: AFP