Mark Selby lived up to his “Jester from Leicester” moniker during the Welsh Open semi-finals, taking a lighthearted approach when opponent Luca Brecel was granted a medical time-out due to a migraine. Despite the unusual interruption, Selby remained composed and powered through to a 6-3 victory, securing his place in the final.
The match began with Brecel delivering an erratic break-off, and Selby wasted no time capitalizing, potting a brilliant 131 clearance. However, moments later, Brecel was granted a 15-minute pause to recover from his migraine symptoms.
Upon resumption, Selby produced a shocking break-off of his own, prompting Eurosport commentator Neal Foulds to call it “even worse” than Brecel’s. The 41-year-old saw the humor in the situation, theatrically gripping his temples and mimicking a headache, much to the delight of the Venue Cymru crowd. David Hendon joined in on the fun, joking: “Now he’s saying, ‘I’ve got a headache. Can I have 15 minutes, please?’”
Brecel didn’t immediately capitalize on Selby’s error but managed to level the match by taking the frame. The pair split the next two frames before the interval, and Jimmy White later commented on Brecel’s early struggles, explaining how his migraine had affected his game.
Following the break, Brecel won another frame despite an unusual miscue on the black. However, Selby found his rhythm when it mattered most, dominating the final four frames to seal the win. This victory marks his second final appearance in just ten days, having previously triumphed over world champion Kyren Wilson in the Championship League.
After the match, Selby revealed that Brecel had been struggling to see due to his migraine. “He said he couldn’t see, so we had to stop for 15, 20 minutes—rightly so,” Selby explained in the Eurosport studio. “I told him to take as long as he needed. I would have let him have even longer, but thankfully he felt better after the break.”
Regarding his miscalculated break-off after the restart, Selby noted that the balls had felt “light” throughout the tournament. “It was mad because I feel like it’s been like that all week. The cue ball seems light, but no one’s really mentioned it. Luca was using a one-cushion break because he said it was squirting out really wide.”
With this win, Selby advances to yet another major final, proving once again why he remains a dominant force in the world of snooker.
