UK Championship Snooker quarter-finals: Selby seeks Selt win

“Every time I got a chance I seemed to win the frame in one visit. You can’t always play snooker like that, but it does put a marker down for other players. I probably shouldn’t have been in the last 16.”

His latest opponent, 30-year-old Selt, showed plenty of grit to battle back against Brecel late on Thursday night and he is 11/4 to cause an upset in York, in what would be his maiden triumph over the Leicester ace.

Selt seeks first ranking semi-final

The potting pair have met on three occasions during their careers, with the current world number one comfortably tasting success each time, including a dominant 10-4 coup at the 2013 World Championship. Having never dropped more than four frames against Selt, Selby is 5/1 to record a close 6-4 win this time around.

Selt’s appearance in the quarter-finals means he has already equalled his best ever ranking event finish, having reached this stage of four separate tournaments, including the Australian Goldfields Open this year, but he is 10/1 to earn a deciding frame win and edge into a maiden semi-final.

Gould contests Grace in other evening encounter

The revival of Martin Gould has continued up to the quarter-finals in York, as the 34-year-old overcame a slow start against Belfast potter Joe Swail to reach this stage against David Grace.

Gould admitted he felt pressure during the opening frames of his last 16 meeting with Swail, when he fell 1-0 and 2-1 behind early on, but he is now 17/4 to record a second successive 6-3 victory this time out.

“There was lot riding on it and it took me a little longer than I anticipated to settle down,” stated Gould, who had never previously been beyond the second round at the UK.

“Even though I made a good break to go 1-1, I just never felt I had completely settled.”

Leeds cueist Grace will look to cause another upset at the Barbican Centre though, having already dispatched former world champion Peter Ebdon, and the Yorkshireman is 3/1 to reach the semi-finals, while odds of 4/1 say there will be a deciding frame shooutout in this match-up.

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Coral’s top tip: Back Mark Selby to overcome Matthew Selt by three frames in the handicap market at 13/8.