Over the years, Selby and O'Sullivan have staged many classic confrontations, and in the eyes of the "Rockets", Selby is a torturous "torturer", so how does Selby view O'Sullivan's assessment?
O'Sullivan vs Selby Masters clash record 2009 Final O'Sullivan 10-8 Selby 2010 Final Selby 10-9 O'Sullivan 2014 Final O'Sullivan 10-4 Selby 2016 Quarterfinals O'Sullivan 6-3 Selby
"I think it's just what he thinks of me," Selby said, "and in the past when I wasn't going well against him, I would get into a little bit of self-doubt and the pace of play would slow down, and Ronnie [O'Sullivan] always had his own rhythm, very quickly — he was such a talented player and I was so far from talented." But every time I enjoyed the challenge against Ronnie. ”
In many major matches, Selby's record against O'Sullivan is not bad. He was 6-9 behind in a Masters final, and Selby eventually completed a comeback 10-9 to win the title.
"We've had a lot of great encounters, he beat me 10-4 in the Masters a few years ago; the one I beat him in the final was a great game; there was another time before he beat me 10-8 and that time I felt like I had played to the extreme, and even then I lost. Like I said, I enjoy every fight and it seems like a great game. ”
However, playing O'Sullivan at the Masters must be the most difficult, as 99% of fans will fall to the side of the Rockets, and the home effect is obvious beyond reproach.
"I remember the time I won him 10-9 and walking into the arena was simply the best I've ever experienced other than the World Championships. I still remember when I was 6-9 behind and there were people in the audience shouting 'Book a cab for Selby' – from some of his 99% supporters. I slowly chased it back, and some of my 10 or so supporters started shouting 'Book a cab for O'Sullivan.' What a good joke. ”
Since the birth of his daughter Sophie, Selby, who has promoted his father, has become more and more courageous on the field, and the speed of his championship has begun to increase explosively. A new view of family makes Selby's snooker life even more motivating: "In the early years of my career, it was still difficult for me to get out of the shadow of my father's death when I was young, and there were many unsatisfactory things in life. ”
"It's very happy to be with Vicki, she's a great wife, and having my daughter Sophie makes me look at snooker in a different light – I used to blame myself for not being able to win, and now coming home to see her calling out to daddy to greet me makes me feel like it's all worth it."
"Family should always be the first. I've done a good job in my snooker career and I still enjoy it as much as I used to, but now that I have more motivation, I'll give Sophie a better life. ”