Defending champion Mark Selby falls to 'curse of the Crucible'

Selby joined an illustrious list of past champions whose first title defences ended in shock early round defeats at snooker's showpiece event - a fate that has befallen the likes of Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and Neil Robertson.

McGill was 10-6 ahead as the pair went into the final session and he secured the three frames he needed to reach the quarter-finals in his first appearance at the Crucible Theatre.

The Scot took the first frame after the resumption with a break of 68 and although Selby seized the next, an 87 put his opponent 12-7 ahead.

Englishman Selby then threatened to mount a fightback but McGill held firm and will next meet 2005 champion Shaun Murphy or Joe Perry.

Selby's defeat continued the so-called 'Crucible Curse'. No first-time champion has ever made a successful defence of his title.

"I have no embarrassment in losing," said Selby. "He played fantastic all match. he thoroughly deserved to win. I probably lost it in the second session, I played really poorly and every time he got a chance he seemed to punish me – he had me under pressure all match.

"He’s more than capable of winning the tournament."

McGill was thrilled to have won.

“I’m just ecstatic,” said McGill, who turned pro in 2010.

“I’ve just beaten the World Champion at the Crucible, I can’t believe it. No one was expecting me to win, I wasn’t expecting it myself. I was just hoping to put up a proper decent fight. I knew if I gave everything I had then my mind would be at ease whatever the result.

“I thought I played pretty well. To win the second session 6-2 and go 10-6 ahead was massive, but I knew by no means was it over tonight, even when it went to 12-7.

"He’s not World Champion for nothing and you just see time and time again, Mark Selby comes back at a lot better players than me.

Selby added that the "curse of the Crucible" actually made the defeat easier to take.

"I’m not embarrassed about losing because many of the greats over the years have won it for the first time and then not defended it," he said.

"When I look back over the season I’ve had a lot of things going on off the table, with (daughter) Sofia arriving, and coming through to win two tournaments – it’s not a bad season overall.”

Graeme Dott, the 2006 champion, is close to bowing out of the tournament after falling 11-5 behind to Stuart Bingham.