Mark Selby preparing for 'tough' quarter final Scottish Open with Neil Robertson - 'I need to be at the top of my game'

Mark Selby admits he will “need to be at the top of my game” when he takes on Neil Robertson on Friday for a place in the semi-final of the Scottish Open.

Late on Thursday, Selby edged out Jack Lisowski 4-2 to seal his place in the next round after racing into a three-nil lead. But his opponent made him sweat by winning the next two.

And The Jester needed a touch of good fortune to see out the match as Lisowski fouled by inadvertently potting a red.

Ultimately, however, Selby was just relieved to get over the finishing line.

“Yeah, I mean, I tried my best to throw the match away, didn’t I, from 3-0? But I got to four first and that’s the main thing,” Selby reflected in the Eurosport studio where he joined Ronnie O’Sullivan.

Eurosport’s Rachel Casey asked O’Sullivan if Selby should have had the game wrapped up sooner. But The Rocket responded: “That’s the way snooker goes. One little mistake, you let the other guy in and that easily happens. As Mark says, as long as you get to four first, that’s the most important thing.”

However, Selby understands that he will have to improve if he is to get the better of Robertson, a match-up O’Sullivan describes as a "final".

“Yeah, tough game,” said Selby.

“I think the last time I beat him was probably about seven years ago. I think he’s beat me about the last 12 out of 13 matches.

"He’s a quality player. Every time I’ve played against him he's played to the top of his game. So, if he plays like that, he's capable of beating anyone and winning any tournament. So, I need to be at the top of my game to have a chance.”

Robertson reached the last eight with a 4-2 win over Scotland’s Anthony McGill. McGill missed a shot to take the match to a decider, missing the final black in the sixth frame as Robertson swooped in to pinch a place in the last eight.

Much like Selby, the Australian hasn't hit top gear in Edinburgh just yet and was particularly unconvincing in his second round victory over Himanshu Jain.

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