Defending champion Mark Selby beats Kurt Maflin to progress

ByEurosport

Updated 19/04/2015 at 07:40 GMT

Mark Selby beat Kurt Maflin 10-9 in their World Championship first-round match as he bids to become the first player to defend his maiden world title.

Defending champion Selby holds a three-frame lead

Image credit: Eurosport

But it went right down to the final frame, with Maflin leading 9-8 before Selby levelled to force the decider.

The 31-year-old from Leicester had made an emphatic start to the match with a break of 84 before his Norwegian opponent levelled with a 96 of his own.

The high quality play continued as Selby built a 4-2 lead with breaks of 108, 53 and 59 before winning the seventh frame on a respotted black.

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Maflin recovered well from that disappointment to reduce the deficit to 5-3 with a break of 88 before Selby restored the three-frame gap to end the session in a commanding position, four frames from victory.

And although Maflin continued to push him all the way, Selby eventually emerged the victor, taking the match 10-9.

In the afternoon session, Anthony McGill took a 6-3 lead over Stephen Maguire, while John Higgins leads Robert Milkins by the same margin.

And in the evening, Graeme Dott led Ricky Walden 5-4.

On Sunday, Marco Fu will attempt to defend his slender 5-4 advantage over Jimmy Robertson.

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