Mark Selby let his frustration be know about what he called "brain dead" noise during his first round match against Robert Milkins at the Masters snooker tournament.
The four-time world snooker champion was leading Milkins 3-0 in the best of 11 frames match when noise from the Alexandra Palace crowd put him off a shot. Selby swiped his cue through the air in frustration.
The noise, cutlery banging on a plate, had come from the Century Club section of crowd where patrons can enjoy drinks and food while watching matches.
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"It’s great having to have that Century Club there," Selby told Eurosport after his 6-1 victory.
"I think it’s amazing. I was up there the day before. But how can they not soundproof it? It’s brain-dead. I don’t understand!
"People are paying a lot of money to go up there and it’s great that people can go. If they’re paying a lot of money, you want them to have a good time, have a drink and stuff, which is fine.
"But you shouldn’t be able to hear the noise, no matter how much noise they make. It’s quite close to the table. Even Rob, the ref, he said he could hear quite a lot of chatting."
"Selby is 𝒇𝙪𝒓𝙞𝒐𝙪𝒔" 😠
Mark Selby irritated by noise from the crowd during his shot ⚫#TheMasters pic.twitter.com/eNN6541bHY— Eurosport (@eurosport) January 10, 2024
Despite the setback, Selby did win the frame. He will face Mark Allen in the second round.
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"I’m on my way through [the shot], it's not as if I’m on my back swing and I can stop," said Selby.
"Somebody’s just dropped like cutlery on a plate, as loud as you want.
"I was so frustrated, because I’m playing that. I knew it was a big frame, and I’m thinking if I pot that, the way I was playing, I fancy winning the frame, and 4-0 or 3-1 is massive. I was lucky, I got away with it.
"This game, it can switch on one ball. If I’d have missed that and stuck it up, and Rob goes 3-1, who’s to say, he comes out after the interval, I miss a few, it could be the turning point in the match. Key things like that are big."
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