'I am on the right track' - Mark Selby more positive as he battles mental health issues away from table
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Updated 16/04/2022 at 22:16 GMT
Mark Selby battled into the second round of the World Championship with a 10-7 victory over Jamie Jones and gave an emotional interview to Eurosport where he revealed he is on the right track as he battles his mental health. Watch the World Championship and other top snooker live on Eurosport and discovery+.
'Getting myself better' main priority for Selby in open interview after Jones win
Mark Selby told Europsort following his win over Jamie Jones in the first round of the World Championship that he is on the right track mentally.
The defending champion arrived at the Crucible with little expectation, after a poor season which has been dominated by his admission of his mental health issues.
Selby elected to withdraw from the Turkish Masters and Gibraltar Open, meaning his most-recent appearance was a first-round exit at the Welsh Open.
He started well in the morning and despite a wobble in the evening as Jones threatened a fightback, Selby got over the line in a match which saw him knock in three tons.
Selby said he had done little practice in the lead up to the Crucible, but revealed in his post-match interview with Eurosport that he arrived in a positive frame of mind and praised the doctor he has been working with.
“The last two tournaments I have not played as it has been difficult,” Selby told Eurosport following his 10-7 victory. “I have been working with a doctor for a little while.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2022/04/16/3356848-68617233-2560-1440.jpg)
Defending champion Selby seals nervy win over Jones in first round
"He told me to carry on playing as well as working with the help, which is what I chose to do. But I felt it was getting too much, too much pressure as well, and with me not being in the right mental state. So we gave it a go, but it didn’t work so we decided to take a break.
“The last six weeks I have done a lot more sessions with him and he has sort of got me a little bit better. I am on the right track.
“I want to say a big thanks to him, Dr Lanka in London. Also Mark Quirk who is the guy who put me on to him.”
Selby battled hard to get over the line against Jones, and thanked those who have supported him.
“I got a great ovation so it is brilliant really," Selby said. “I have had a lot of support on social media, people saying well done for speaking out.
“I did not want to go out there and everyone put their arm around me and say ‘well done, you’ve helped so many people’ but sometimes it is okay not to be okay.
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2022/04/16/3356823-68616728-2560-1440.jpg)
'That was world-class!' - Selby lands pressure century against Jones
“Snooker is such a hard game when you are in the right mental state, so is doubly hard when you are not in the right mental state.
“Just coming here for the tournament, it got me thinking more positively and I said I was going to give it a go.
“The result today was irrelevant to me. As long as I went out and enjoyed it, smiled a bit - which I did - then whatever happens, happens.
“The main thing at the moment is getting myself better.”
---
Watch the World Championship and other top snooker live on Eurosport and discovery+.
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement