Mark Selby Mark Selby stated that Joe O’Connor is the last player he wanted to be matched with in the first round of the World Snooker Championship, rather wishing to avoid facing a friend and practice partner.
O’Connor is the sole newcomer in this year’s event after a challenging final qualifying match against Matt Selt.
All focus was on the draw, and the 28-year-old was given a very tough test against four-time world champion Selby.
Not only is this an extremely difficult match, but it also has personal significance, as the two men from Leicester have a long history going back to O’Connor’s childhood.
‘Joe is a very friendly guy, a great player, and has a nice family,’ Selby told the BBC. ‘I’ve known him since he was eight or nine years old when we played in a snooker club and Joe used to come in and play pool.
‘He is probably the last person I wanted to face from the qualifiers. He is from Leicester, a friend, and we sometimes practice together. It's unpleasant, you never want to compete against your friends if you can avoid it.
‘We both have a job to do, we will both go out there and play the match for what it is and see who comes out on top.’
When he made it through the qualifiers, O’Connor was asked if it would be a dream or a nightmare to face Selby. He said: ‘I would say more of a dream, but if I had to choose, I would like to play someone like him in the final. But playing against someone like him at any point is a big occasion, two Leicester locals, you can’t really beat it.
‘We’ve been friends since I watched him in the final [in 2007]. I used to play pool with him, I have followed him, and we have known each other since then.’
O’Connor told the BBC: ‘He is the one I have admired ever since I started playing snooker and probably subconsciously shaped my game around him. It is a perfect draw, ideally I would want to face him in the final, but the first round is just as good.’
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The first-time player was defeated by Selby in the recent Championship League final, and he has also reached the final of the Scottish Open. He feels prepared to compete at the Crucible.
‘I feel like I have a well-rounded game, especially when I am playing well,’ he said. ‘I am pocketing long shots, scoring, and I feel like I always have the defensive skills and mindset to persevere when it's tough. I think that will give me a good chance in any match in any tournament, to be honest.’
When reminded that debutants Jak Jones and Si Jiahui reached the quarterfinals and semifinals respectively last year, O’Connor joked: ‘Then I will be aiming for the final!’
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