World number one Mark Selby has been fighting hard this week at the European Masters in Lommel and expects another severe test in his quarter-final clash with Stuart Bingham. Selby has already come through three deciding frames in Belgium, edging out Jack Lisowski in the last 16 with his latest 4-3 win. Just as was the case in the previous round against Chinese teenager Lyu Haotian, it was a match where the world champion never led until it mattered most.
A break of 127 in the second frame helped Lisowski into an early 2-0 lead and he also nipped ahead 3-2, but Selby wouldn’t be denied. Breaks of 88, 73, 71 and then 68 in the decider ensured he advanced into the quarters and he’s expecting a tough encounter with 2015 world champion Bingham. “Stuart is a former world champion. It is one of those matches which is a spin of a coin. We just have to go out there and play as well as we can and the best man will win,” he said.
Selby is 1/2 to overcome Bingham on Friday while the current world number 11 is available at 6/4 to win the match. Bingham dashed the hopes of home favourite Luca Brecel in the last 16, winning 4-2 despite having his concentration interrupted by a photographer during the match. With the scores level at 2-2, Bingham missed a routine black and, not for the first time, felt a photographer had been guilty of moving while he was down on the shot.
The trigger-happy snapper was ejected from the arena and Brecel failed to make the miss count, with Bingham running out a 4-2 winner, the highlight being a break of 92 in frame two. Selby is 23/10 to win the European Masters while Bingham is 15/2 ahead of their last-eight clash.
European Masters odds available at Dafabet.