‘I don’t think I could have played any better’ admits Mark Selby after opening Crucible win

The Leicester potter was in imperious form as he marched to a 10-1 victory, finishing off the final two frames he needed to knock out last year’s quarter-finalist from Norway.

That sets up a second-round encounter with Mark Allen and Selby could not have asked for a better start at the Crucible.

He said: “My all-round game really, I felt as though I had no weaknesses throughout the whole match. Coming into the evening session it was a strange mindset because you feel like all you had to do was mind your work and you would get chances, so it was a case of when not if I’d fall over the line.

“The way I played yesterday I was really happy with my all-round game, it’s been a while since I’ve felt like that. It shows that my game is where I want it to be.

“First session I don’t think I could have played any better in any part of my game. I thought it ticked all the boxes in that session with my game where I want it to be. But you have to cherish it while you can because it doesn’t happen too often.”

After getting the better of Maflin, Selby faces a familiar foe in Allen, the 2018 Masters champion.

It is the Northern Irishman who actually edges their head-to-head record, and Selby admits he will have to be at his best to get through to the last eight.

He added: “It’s very, very tough, we’ve played each other many times and as people have told me, he’s 10-9 in front.

“It just shows how close the matches are and we’ve had a lot of deciding frames.

“I know he’s not had the best of seasons but I watched a bit of his first-round game and he looked like he was getting back to where he wants to be.

“It’s going to be a tough game but it’s the World Championship, you don’t expect any easy matches.”

Earlier in the day Shaun Murphy booked his place in the second round with a 10-7 win over Mark Davis, while Ronnie O’Sullivan and Anthony McGill are all square at 4-4 in their second-round encounter.

Watch the World Snooker Championship live on Eurosport and Eurosport app from April 17- May 3

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