Mark Selby is finding his best form at the ideal time in the season (Picture: Getty Images)
Confidence does not appear to be a problem for Mark Selby anymore as he books himself a spot in the Tour Championship semi-finals, and a clash with Shaun Murphy which has the potential to be a classic.
Selby won the English Open back in December after a steady build in his form, but then seemed to lose any momentum he had built after Christmas.
The four-time world champion burst back into life at the WST Classic earlier this month, playing some great stuff on his way to the title and appears to have continued that form at the Tour Championship.
Ryan Day made a real fight of their quarter-final contest, becoming the first player ever to make a 147 and a 16-red total clearance – a superb 139 – in the same contest, but he could still not do enough to down the Jester, despite recovering from 8-2 down to make a game of it at 9-7.
Selby made two big tons of his own (132 and 131) along with five half-centuries as he moved into the semis with a 10-7 victory and enjoying himself in the process.
‘I felt good out there, every time I got a chance I thought I was going to score and win the frame,’ Selby told ITV4.
‘Ryan played okay to come back, it’s one of them scenarios, 8-2 he probably thinks it’s all over and let’s his arm go, before you know it you start flying.’
Asked about a timely return to confidence ahead of the World Championship in April, he said: ‘Confidence is just the here and now, the present. If you’re not winning it doesn’t matter what you’ve won in the past, it’s all about the present.
‘I played okay, especially the last day, at the WST Classic, I felt as though I was hitting the ball a lot better, as I have been in practice, it was nice to take it out there.’
Selby takes on another man in fine form in Murphy on Saturday and he will be looking for a measure of revenge after the Magician got the better of him at the Players Championship in February, before going on to lift the trophy.
‘Shaun beat me in the Players, I didn’t really turn up but he played ok and played brilliantly for the rest of the tournament,’ said Selby. ‘Seems to be finding his game again, looking forward to it, should be a good match.’
Day impressed but it was double disappointment in defeat as he now is confirmed to not be in the top 16 ahead of the World Championship so must face the qualifiers to reach the Crucible.
The Welshman is not exactly relishing the prospect, saying: ‘Even though it’s the World Championship, those kind of leisure centre set-ups and multi-table qualifying is something I really do not like.
‘I’m going to try to get my head round it in the next week before I play, just tell myself it is the World Championship, we all want to finish at the Crucible.’
MORE : Stephen Hendry: Why Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Selby are ‘different to everyone else’
MORE : Historic Ryan Day 147 at Tour Championship extends unusual record for Mark Selby
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‘If you’re not winning it doesn’t matter what you’ve won in the past.’