Matthew Selt will face two-time world champion Mark Williams in the last-16 of the German Masters in Berlin after dumping out Masters champ Mark Allen. Allen claimed the first Triple Crown title of his career late last month when he fended off a battling Kyren Wilson to win the Dafabet Masters at Alexandra Palace in London. The Northern Irishman suffered a 5-4 defeat against world number 45 Selt in his first ranking tournament appearance since his big win in London. Allen contributed breaks of 97, 72 and 100 along the way, but it was not enough to fend off Selt.
Having opened with a century to take the first frame, Selt also made breaks of 68, 51 and 67 en route to establishing a 4-2 advantage. Allen rallied strongly, including his own century to force a decider but it was Selt that landed a scrappy ninth frame to move in the last-16. Selt is a 12/5 underdog to overcome Williams on Thursday evening. The Welsh left-hander defeater Fergal O’Brien 5-3 in an often scrappy encounter in his opener and is 3/10 to defeat Selt. Defending champion Anthony Hamilton was unable to overcome the first hurdle on his return to Berlin. Hamilton defeated Ali Carter to claim an emotional maiden ranking title after 26 seasons as a professional at the Tempodrom 12 months ago but he never got going as Jimmy Robertson ran out a 5-1 winner.
Robertson is yet to make it beyond the last-16 stage of a ranking event but could end that run with victory over Gary Wilson, ranked 18 places below him, on Thursday. Robertson is 5/6 to win that clash and he admits there is renewed confidence in his game this season. “I haven’t been performing the way I can at the TV stages in recent years, but this season I’m feeling a lot better,” he said. “I’ve been working with Martin Perry, who is a confidence coach. That has helped me a lot because it is a different ball game when you are out there on the TV stage against the top players.”
German Masters odds available at Dafabet.