'That was extraordinary!' - Mark Selby appears to feel the cold as he misses straightforward red

Updated 04/11/2021 at 16:03 GMT

Mark Selby produced an inexplicable miss on a simple red during his third round match against Chris Wakelin at the English Open. The world champion visibly appeared to be struggling with the temperature inside the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes. Stream the English Open live and on demand on discovery+

'A lapse in concentration' - Selby unbelievably misses easy red

Mark Selby didn't have it all his own way during the first frame of his second round win against Chris Wakelin at the English Open.

Facing down a straightforward red into the left middle pocket, the reigning world champion saw his shot bounce back off the inside cushion before rolling away.

"A lapse in concentration" said Joe Johnson on Eurosport commentary. "You won't see Mark Selby miss an easier pot than that."

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"That was quite incredible.

"He was trying to hold that cue ball. He will be absolutely furious with himself for missing that simple red."

Noticing Selby's uncomfortable demeanour as he returned to his chair, Philip Studd offered up a possible explanation for the uncharacteristic error.

"Perhaps he's feeling a bit cold out there in more ways than one.

He's blowing on his fingers returning to his chair. That was extraordinary.

Selby went on to take the frame but was noticeably continuing to attempt to warm his warm his hands between shots, suggesting he was perhaps struggling with the temperature inside the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes

"I know why he missed it." concluded Johnson. "He was trying to hold for the blue perfectly."

Speaking after his eventual 4-1 win, Selby admitted the conditions were a factor early on in the match.

"First frame and a half, yeah. Really cold" he told Eurosport's Rachel Casey. "I kept trying to blow my hands. I had no feeling at all.

"In the second and third frame I warmed up.

"Physically I wasn't cold, it was just my hands."