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		<title>Mark Selby - latest news</title>
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		<copyright>Mark Selby</copyright>
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			<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 17:32:56 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>Mark my words</title>
			<description><![CDATA[Snooker poet Kevin Power has written a tribute to Mark Selby:

The Rap of Mark Selby

(The Jester from Leicester)

This is the table of legend and fable
Where Mark was able to pot all the reds –
Followed by colours, firm from their beds
This is the chalk of kingfisher blue
That chalked the tip that tipped the cue
To apply the screws around the “Blues”.

With winning shots in potting and snooker
And in playing safe his cueing was super
Playing it cool with no signs of tension
Development that was full of invention
Let’s make no mistake – he’s got what it takes
To make the big breaks whilst playing “It” safe

Escaping from snookers, no forfeits or bloomers.
He potted the black that won him the frame
That settled the match of the Rubicon game
The prize worthy winner, the big money spinner
With deference to Ronnie – no disrespects
And by the same token, to have no regrets

We wish him well in fortune and fate
And long may he prosper afore “Sell-by” date]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:36:56 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>Emotional day for Mark</title>
			<description><![CDATA[Mark Selby grabbed at the chance to throw his weight behind a local charity.

He is the patron of Leicester hospice Loros, where his father David spent the last few weeks of his life in 1999 after being diagnosed with lung cancer.

Selby, the Jester from Leicester, returned to the the hospice last week for the first time, when he met staff, volunteers and patients.

He said: “When they asked me to be a patron for Loros I snapped their hands off because of my dad being in here and knowing about what they do and the brilliant care he was given.

“Coming here again brings good and bad memories for me.

“As upsetting as it was to visit my dad here, I know it was also a good place for my dad to come.”

Loros staff were delighted to meet the world No.7.

Clinician Rachel Atkinson said: “It was great to meet him. And it’s really lovely to see a local star in the hospice.”

Senior fundraiser Adrian Walker added: “Mark is a really nice bloke and very genuine. It’s fantastic to have someone so well-known, young and doing so well as our patron.”

*Picture courtesy of the Leicester Mercury]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Thu, 04 Feb 2010 11:49:15 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>Civic honour for Selby</title>
			<description><![CDATA[Masters champion Mark Selby has been honoured at a civic ceremony in his home town of Leicester.

The world No.7 lifted his second Wembley title last month after a thrilling comeback against Ronnie O’Sullivan. Selby was 9-6 down before winning the final four frames to clinch a famous win and the coveted trophy.

And at Leicester Town Hall on Wednesday, Selby was presented with an inscribed crystal bowl to celebrate his Masters success.

The Lord Mayor of Leicester, Councillor Roger Blackmore, made the presentation to Selby in front of a large group of friends and supporters.

“I am delighted for Mark that he’s enjoying such success, and following in the footsteps of other sporting greats from Leicester,” said Coun Blackmore.

Selby, the Jester from Leicester, said: “As a local lad I feel very proud to be honoured at this event. Being a young boy growing up, all I ever wanted to do was be a snooker player.

“Winning the Masters was a dream come true and to come here as well, it’s a great feeling.

“I’ve not had much time to celebrate but from now until March I’ve got nothing on so I’m sure I’ll have some kind of celebration with family and friends.”

*Picture courtesy of the Leicester Mercury]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Mon, 01 Feb 2010 16:45:16 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>Rankings lift for Selby</title>
			<description><![CDATA[Mark Selby’s hopes of retaining his top-16 status in next season’s world rankings have been given a boost.

Having slipped from a starting place of seventh to 13th in the provisional rankings, the Jester from Leicester is now up to 11th after reaching the quarter-finals of the Welsh Open.

Selby lost 5-2 against Higgins in Newport, but the points gained were enough to lift him two valuable places.

There are just two ranking events left this season, the China Open (March 29-April 4) and the World Championships (April 17-May 3).

Meanwhile, Selby proudly showed off his Masters title at the Leicester City v Newcastle match on Saturday.

A dedicated Leicester supporter, Selby appeared at half-time during the 0-0 draw at the Walkers Stadium.

Selby is lined up for another engagement this week when he will be the guest of honour at an evening hosted by the mayor of Leicester at the city’s Town Hall.]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Fri, 29 Jan 2010 08:03:39 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>Higgins next up for the Jester</title>
			<description><![CDATA[Mark Selby stayed on course for a title double when he beat Mark King in the second round of the Welsh Open.

A 5-3 win earned Selby a quarter-final clash against world champion John Higgins, and keeps the Jester from Leicester in line to add to the Masters trophy he won two weeks ago.

It was a close match against King, the Essex man levelling at 3-3 after Selby opened up a 3-1 lead, including a top break of 84.

But breaks of 63 and 71 saw Selby set up a last-eight match with Higgins, who was a 5-1 winner over Graeme Dott.

Mark Selby 5-3 Mark King
52-60, 83(50)-32, 75(45)-24, 97(84)-33, 24-66(45), 21-68, 76(63)-16, 72(71)-32]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:04:54 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>Selby's hot streak continues</title>
			<description><![CDATA[Mark Selby eased into the second round of the Welsh Open with a 5-2 win over Judd Trump.

Selby, looking for his second title in three years at Newport, will now face Mark King for a place in the quarter-finals. Their second-round match starts on Thursday at 7pm.

Against Trump, Selby continued the form that saw him win the Masters 10 days ago. The Jester from Leicester won the first two frames before the Bristol youngster pulled one back in the third.

Selby fired in a break of 69 to pull clear at 3-1, but Trump hit back immediately after the interval to make it 3-2.

But world No.7 Selby upped his game with a break of 115 to take the sixth frame, before wrapping up victory with a run of 58 in the seventh. 

Mark Selby 5-2 Judd Trump
73(30,31)-71(51), 70(51)-19, 52(45)-60(30), 102(69)-2, 27-73(47), 115(115)-0, 91(58)-26]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:18:18 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>Selby hoping to trump Judd</title>
			<description><![CDATA[Masters champion Mark Selby plays talented youngster Judd Trump in the first round of the Welsh Open at the Newport Centre tomorrow.

The best-of-nine clash starts in the afternoon with a clash against either Mark King or Marcus Campbell awaiting in the second round.

World No.7 Selby is brimming with confidence after his heroic Wembley win against Ronnie O’Sullivan, when he fought back from 9-6 down to snatch the title with a 10-9 victory.

And he can make it a trophy double if he wins in Wales this week, a repeat of two years ago when he won both titles in quick succession.

The Jester from Leicester said: “I’m on a real high and can’t wait for it to start. It feels like the season has just started for me and I’m excited about what’s to come.

“I always thought I was playing well this season, even though I had a couple of first-round defeats.

“The Masters showed my game is in great shape. To come back and win like that was fantastic, and it’s just been a matter of fine-tuning it during this last week.

“I’ve been practising every day, and I know I’ve got a hard match ahead of me. But winning the Masters gave me a massive lift and I hope that continues in Newport this week.”

Read more of Mark’s thoughts by clicking on to his blog.]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Mon, 18 Jan 2010 08:14:29 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>Stunning fightback seals Masters glory</title>
			<description><![CDATA[Mark Selby won his second Masters title in three years after a thrilling final against Ronnie O'Sullivan at Wembley.

The Jester from Leicester fought back from 9-6 down to stun world No.1 and defending champion O'Sullivan 10-9.

It avenged Selby's 10-8 defeat to O'Sullivan in last year's final, and added to the Masters title he won on his debut in 2008.

Selby's remarkable record in this tournament now stands at 11 wins in 12 matches, and it sets the 26-year-old up nicely for the rest of the season.

He said: &#034;That's the best final I've ever been in.

&#034;The atmosphere is great when Ronnie O'Sullivan plays. I just dug in and thought I would just scrap it out. 

&#034;I love the atmosphere and seem to thrive on it. Hopefully this will kick-start my season.&#034; 

Ronnie O'Sullivan 9 - 10 Mark Selby
1st Session: 35(35)-81, 90(56)-34(30), 86(86)-7, 122(122)-0, 101(101)-4, 0-83(83), 0-112(112), 74(54)-33(33)
2nd Session: 0-117(54,58), 114(92)-8, 0-136(136), 74(49)-41(37), 0-78(78), 137(41,89)-0, 91(91)-3, 25-92(62), 8-109(109), 67-78, 0-65(27,37)

* Keep an eye out for Mark's next blog entry when he will talk at length about his phenomenal Masters win.]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Sun, 17 Jan 2010 11:21:45 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>A Master class from Selby</title>
			<description><![CDATA[Mark Selby will face defending champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in today's Pokerstars.com Masters final at Wembley. 

Selby, who won the title in 2008, set up a repeat of last year's final after beating Stephen Maguire 6-3 in the semis.

It was Selby's 10th win in 11 appearances at Wembley, and the Jester from Leicester will be hoping to continue that form again O'Sullivan.

Against Maguire, world No.7 Selby pulled away to win the final three frames after the opening six were shared. It followed up wins against Ding Junui (6-1) and Mark Allen (6-5).

Selby said: &#034;I've only lost one match here, and hopefully after today I'll still have only lost one. I played well in the final last year (before losing 10-8). I'm not playing as well as I was then, my break-building need to be more consistent.&#034;

O'Sullivan beat Mark Williams 6-5 in the other semi to set up the clash against Selby.

Stephen Maguire 3-6 Mark Selby
4-78(46), 75(36)-8, 25-69(38), 140(140)-0, 8-120(84), 99(99)-0, 0-91(91), 7-77(51), 0-93(38,55)]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Sat, 16 Jan 2010 10:03:15 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>Selby squeezes into Masters semis</title>
			<description><![CDATA[Mark Selby edged into the semi-finals of the Masters with a hard-fought 6-5 win over Mark Allen at Wembley.

After racing into a 3-0 lead, 2008 championg Selby was forced to withstand a fightback from the Irishman, who levelled at 3-3.

Selby then found himself 5-4 down and needing to win the last two frames to secure a last-four clash against Stephen Maguire.

The Jester from Leicester held his nerve and scraped over the line to secure his third consecutive Wembley semi-final.

The outcome was a repeat of last year's 6-5 win over Allen at the same stage.

Mark Selby 6-5 Mark Allen

51-43, 68(67)-18, 139(46,93), 1-120(114), 1-82(82), 52(52)-72(36), 63(50)-20, 16-85(52), 6-76(40), 66-25, 63-17]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:18:42 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>Selby breezes into last eight</title>
			<description><![CDATA[Mark Selby wasted no time booking his place in the quarter-finals of the Masters with a decisive victory over Ding Junhui.

Champion in 2008 and runner-up last year, Selby stormed to a 6-1 win against the Chinese ace to maintain his proud record of only one defeat in nine matches at Wembley.

Selby showed little side effects of the flu virus he has been suffering the past week to open up a 5-0 lead thanks to runs of 60, 45, 54 and 64.

Ding, fresh from winning the UK Championship last month, fought back to pinch the sixth frame, but Selby knocked in a break of 49 to steal the seventh and close out the match.

Selby said: &#034;Every time I play here I seem to produce my best. I like the one table set up because you know when you go out there that all eyes are on you.&#034;

The Jester from Leicester now faces either John Higgins or Mark Allen in Friday's quarter-final.

Mark Selby 6-1 Ding Junhui
59(36)-16, 66(60)-42(42), 69(45)-1, 97(54)-4, 94(64)-26, 58(53)-60(38c), 75(49)-48]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Sat, 09 Jan 2010 16:32:59 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>Hat-trick in Selby's sights</title>
			<description><![CDATA[Mark Selby will try to shrug off the effects of flu as he launches his bid for a hat-trick of Masters finals at Wembley.

The Jester from Leicester was champion in 2008 and runner-up last year, but he goes into Sunday's first-round tie against Ding Junhui suffering from a virus.

Selby has spent most of the week playing in the Premier League qualifiers at Condon Park in Essex, and admitted he is feeling the effects of the virus.

But he refuses to make excuses for what is a tough test against Ding – who won the UK Championship last month – and is just glad to be back at a venue that holds so many happy memories.

“The virus came on at the start of the week and it’s just beginning to take hold now,” said Selby.

“I’m taking some medication but you’ve got to be really careful that you don’t take a banned substance.

“All I can do is play through it because I want to get back to the final and get my hands on that trophy again.”

Selby won the Masters on his debut two years ago, beating Stephen Lee 10-3 for his first title as a professional.

He followed that up last year by again reaching the final, only for Ronnie O’Sullivan to hold off a brave Selby fightback and emerge a 10-8 winner.

A non-ranking tournament open only to the top 16 players, the Masters is the third most prestigious title on the circuit – behind the World and UK championships – and one which every player wants on his CV.

“It will be great going back to Wembley because I’ve got only happy memories from there,” said Selby, the world No.7.

“It was disappointing to lose last year, but it was still a great achievement to reach the final again.

“I’ve played eight matches in the Masters and won seven, so I want to maintain that record.

“Winning in 2008 was a fantastic day and I want to repeat it. Wembley is a happy hunting ground for me and it’s a tournament I enjoy playing in.

“Ding will be a tough opponent and his confidence will be high, but then they’re all tough at Wembley.

“I know I’m playing well, it’s just health-wise where I could struggle.

“It’s already taken a bit out of me and I feel like it’s only going to get worse, so I have to keep taking remedies and try to sweat it out, although that isn’t easy as the club I practise in hasn’t got any central heating!

“Hopefully I can get past tomorrow and things will pick up from there.”

Selby’s form improved in the UK Championship, where a run to the quarter-finals helped make up for a disappointing season so far.

He had lost in the opening round of the previous two ranking tournaments so was pleased to get a couple of confidence-boosting wins under his belt.

“I was pleased with the way I performed in the UKs and I’ve been practising hard for this,” said Selby.

“I had Christmas Day and Boxing Day off, and then New Year’s Eve but, apart from that, I was on the practice table putting in the hours.”

If Selby wins the best-of-nine frames clash, which gets under way at 10am, a clash against either world champion John Higgins or Irishman Mark Allen awaits in the last eight.]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:10:25 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>Premier hopes pinned on invitation</title>
			<description><![CDATA[Mark Selby will have to hope he gets a wildcard – or wins the World Championship – to book his place in this year’s Premier League.

The world No.7 was eliminated from the Championship League at Crondon Park in Essex this week, ending his hopes of qualifying for the lucrative tournament.

Despite losing in the Group One final to Stephen Maguire on Tuesday, Selby followed up with a less impressive performance in Group Two.

He won only two of six matches, leaving him to be eliminated alongside Ronnie O’Sullivan.]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Thu, 10 Dec 2009 09:58:41 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>Selby has spring in his step</title>
			<description><![CDATA[Mark Selby is full of renewed confidence ahead of his Pukka Pies UK Championship quarter-final against Ronnie O'Sullivan.

The 26-year-old Jester from Leicester has failed to win a single match this season ahead of this week’s tournament at the Telford International Centre.

But, after a thrilling comeback win in the first round, followed by a rather more comfortable victory over seven-time world champion Stephen Hendry, Selby now squares up to O’Sullivan for a place in the semi-finals.

O’Sullivan, a four-time winner of snooker’s second-biggest tournament, will start as favourite in the best-of-17 clash.

He has looked in dominating form with 9-3 wins over Matthew Stevens and Peter Ebdon, while Selby needed to win the final five frames to beat Jamie Cope 9-8 in the first round before beating Hendry 9-5.

O’Sullivan also famously beat Selby in dramatic fashion in the semi-finals two years ago, knocking in a maximum 147 break in the final frame after clawing his way back from 7-5 down to win 9-8.

However, Selby goes into today’s match high on confidence and looking forward to upsetting the form book.

“I’m delighted with the way I’m playing, my confidence is up and I’m full of self-belief,” said the world No.7.

“It shows that my self-belief hadn’t disappeared completely, that it was still there under the surface.

“It was the way I bounced back against Cope that I was especially pleased with. All I needed was to take my practice form on to the match table and get a win under my belt. It was a relief to do that, and now I’ve won two matches and I’m in the quarter-finals.

“I’ll approach the game with Ronnie the same as I do for any match, it doesn’t matter that it’s him I’m playing.

“If I take my A game to the table I know I’m capable of beating anyone.”

O’Sullivan has the upper hand over Selby, having also won the Masters final in January, clinching a late-night thriller 10-8.

The former world champion has also publicly criticised the Leicester man for being a negative player.

“Maybe he doesn’t like playing me, but I won’t be thinking about that,” said Selby.

“It’s all about me and what I do, and I’ve shown in the past that I can compete with him.

“I don’t go out to deliberately play negatively because that could affect me in the wrong way, but if he doesn’t like the way I play and he’s thinking about it, then that could be to my advantage.

“He has struggled this year but he has come into some form this week, so it is going to be a tough match.

“But it doesn’t matter if you’re playing O’Sullivan or a player ranked in the lower reaches of the top 64, the shots will still be the same.”

Selby beat O’Sullivan in the final of the Welsh Open in February last year to lift his first ranking title.

In another thriller, Selby fought back from 8-5 down to win 9-8 so he certainly knows how to get the better of the ‘Rocket’.

“Before I came into this tournament I was just looking for a win,” said Selby.

“Now I’ve got the title in my sights and I believe I can do the job in hand.”

The first session of the match gets under way at 1.30, with the final session starting at 7.0 tonight.]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Wed, 09 Dec 2009 08:18:40 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>Jester reaches UK quarter-finals</title>
			<description><![CDATA[Mark Selby booked his place in the quarter-finals of the Pukka Pies UK Championship with an impressive win over Stephen Hendry.

The Jester from Leicester eased to a comfortable 9-5 victory over the seven-time world champion at the Telford International Centre last night.

That earned him a clash against Ronnie O’Sullivan, who beat Peter Ebdon 9-3.

Selby entered the tournament, the second most prestigious in the snooker calendar, short on form and in danger of slipping out of the provisional top-16 rankings.

But a thrilling 9-8 win over Jamie Cope in the first round acted as a launch-pad for the world No.7, who showed some scintillating form against Hendry.

In the opening eight frames of the match, Selby rattled in breaks of 132, 102 and 141 to establish a commanding 5-3 lead.
He showed no signs of slowing up in last night’s final session, as he quickly stretched that advantage with breaks of 35 and 82.

Hendry offered some resistance with runs of 108 and 74 to make it 7-5. But Selby added the final two frames.]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Mon, 07 Dec 2009 08:31:28 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>Hendry is next up for Selby</title>
			<description><![CDATA[A fantastic comeback saw Mark Selby book a second-round clash against Stephen Hendry in the Pukka Pies UK Championship.

Selby was staring defeat at 8-4 down against Jamie Cope in their first-round clash, but the Jester from Leicester produced a stunning five-frame burst to win 9-8.

The world No.7 rattled in breaks of 67, 101, 57, 115 and 73 in the final five frames while Cope could only muster 22 points.

Selby said: &#034;I don't know why I do it to myself, I'm going to be grey by the time I'm 27!

&#034;Those last five frames were how I've been playing in practice. If I had played the entire match the same way I could have sailed through and saved a lot of tension, not just for me but everyone watching too.

&#034;It's a massive confidence boost though, and now I'm looking forward to Hendry. It will be a tough match, but he can blow hot and cold so I'll be giving it my best shot.&#034;

Selby now faces five-time UK champion Hendry in the second round, which gets under way in Telford on Monday and finishes on Tuesday.

Mark Selby 9-8 Jamie Cope
1st Session: 66(52)-44, 66(34,32)-25, 55-56, 47-72, 0-112(86), 92(86)-5, 70(64)-55
2nd Session: 7-119(100), 7-79(57), 44-82(45), 37(36)-61, 110(43,67)-0, 101(101)-1, 68(57)-21, 121(115)-0, 116(42,73)-0]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 17:16:56 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>Selby targets lucky break in UK Championship</title>
			<description><![CDATA[Mark Selby is determined not to make it third time unlucky when he launches his Pukka Pies UK Championship bid tomorrow.

The Jester from Leicester has one of the toughest draws of the first round at the Telford International Centre when he faces Stoke's rising star Jamie Cope.

Having already lost in the first round of the Shanghai Masters and Grand Prix this season, 26-year-old Selby will be desperate to avoid an unwanted hat-trick in the third ranking tournament of the campaign.

Cope is ranked No.18 in the world and knocking on the door of the elite top 16, while Selby's own status is hanging in the balance after his disappointing start has seen him drop from seventh to 15th in the provisional list.

However, Selby has been hard at it on the practice table, putting in six-hour days, five days a week for the last few weeks as he bids to stop his run of bad luck.

He said: &#034;In the two matches I've lost this season, I feel as though I played well enough to win but I've just been unlucky. The balls went against me and that's it, tournament over.

&#034;It knocks your confidence and I am suffering because of it, but one win could completely change my fortunes.

&#034;With so few tournaments this season it's difficult to maintain a level of consistency, but if I win this weekend it could kick-start my season.&#034;

Cope, 24, booked his place against Selby with a 9-6 win over Ken Doherty in the final qualifying round on Monday.

Tomorrow's match is the best of 17 frames and is concluded on Sunday.

Selby believes the longer format will suit him more than his opponent.

&#034;It's a tough draw, some are harder than others but there are no easy ones,&#034; said Selby, the 2007 World Championship runner-up.

&#034;Every player is capable of beating everyone else, but it's all about me, I know what I'm capable of and I'm going to Telford to do everything right.

&#034;Jamie is a fearless player, he's very good. But he can blow hot and cold and beat or lose to anyone. Over the longer matches, I know how to keep focused and, as long as I play the balls, I will have a good chance.&#034;

Former Masters and Welsh Open champion Selby has played a succession of practice matches over 17 frames against the likes of Nigel Bond, Michael Holt and Rory McLeod.

&#034;I've been playing every day and getting some good results, I feel like I'm playing well,&#034; he said.

&#034;My aim this season has to be to stay in the top 16. I can't let it get to me though, I have to rein that in and keep focused. I know I will win matches, fingers crossed it starts this weekend.&#034;

Selby is delighted that the UK Championship, which is second only to the Worlds in terms of prestige, has found a new sponsor in Leicester company Pukka Pies.

&#034;It's great to have them backing this tournament, hopefully it will help put Leicester on the map,&#034; he said.

&#034;I don't see any reason why Leicester can't host a ranking tournament one day.&#034;]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Mon, 30 Nov 2009 17:26:28 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>Selby supports Tour plans</title>
			<description><![CDATA[Mark Selby has backed proposals for a new World Snooker Tour.

The world No.7 has welcomed the possibility of extra tournaments being added to the calendar, calling the current situation “a farce”.

Writing on his official blog, the Jester from Leicester says: “The fact that we’ve got only six ranking tournaments this season is a farce. There is too much of a gap between each event – it’s been six weeks since the last tournament!

“We are classed as professionals but, really, we are hardly more than part-time. The gap is so big we could get another job in between tournaments.”

Selby also suggests it may be time for a change of faces among the people running the game.

He said: “Snooker is still a massive sport and the viewing figures for tournaments are always high. I know we’ve been hit by the credit crunch, but what I don’t understand is why snooker is in such a bad state.

“You look at a sport like darts and that is still surviving during these hard times, so why isn’t snooker? Why are we losing tournaments? Why are we down to just six this season?

“Maybe the people behind the scenes are just not working out, so maybe it is time for a change of key personnel, a breath of fresh air.”

Selby adds: “I really do hope these proposals come off, because it would undoubtedly be good for snooker and for the players. he game certainly cannot get any worse than it is at the moment. If someone like Barry Hearn was to come in, that could be what turns around our sport.

“Hearn would not be seen as a risk as he has proven before what he is capable of. You only have to look at the darts to see what a difference he can make.”

To read Mark’s blog, go to www.markselby.info/blog]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:50:11 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>Six appeal for Selby</title>
			<description><![CDATA[Mark Selby will be hoping to pocket his first world title when he joins more than 50 professionals at the inaugural Six Reds World Championship in Killarney, Ireland.

The Jester from Leicester is one of 12 players from the top 16 taking part at the INEC December 15 to 18.

Others going for glory include world champion John Higgins, Neil Robertson, Stephen Hendry, Shaun Murphy, Steve Davis, Mark Allen, Peter Ebdon and Stephen Maguire.

Ken Doherty, who is one of the organisers, is also in the 160-man field, which also includes amateurs from countries such as Brazil, India and the United Arab Emirates.]]></description>
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			<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 14:24:45 GMT</pubDate>
			<title>New sponsor is great news - Selby</title>
			<description><![CDATA[Mark Selby is doubly delighted to see Pukka Pies announced as the new sponsor for the UK Championship.

The Leicester-based pie manufacturer has agreed an initial one-year deal with World Snooker to sponsor the sport’s second biggest tournament.

Selby is already practising hard for the UK Championship, which runs from December 5 to 13 at the International Centre in Telford, and the ‘Jester from Leicester’ welcomed this week’s news.

The World No.7 said: “It’s great news for snooker to have another big sponsor on board.

“The UK Championship is one of our best tournaments – all of the players are desperate to win it and it’s up to us to make sure it’s a brilliant event.

“As a Leicester man, I’m also delighted to have a local company involved in snooker.”]]></description>
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