Snooker news - Mark Selby shows staying power to continue European quest, Judd Trump humbled

ByEurosport

Updated 03/10/2018 at 22:36 GMT

Mark Selby hit back from trailing 2-0 to Mark Davis to book his place in the European Masters last 16 with a 4-2 win over his fellow Englishman.

Mark Selby

Image credit: Getty Images

The world number one won the China Championship in Guangzhou with a 10-9 victory over John Higgins in the early hours of Monday morning, but has displayed remarkable staying power to maintain his form on Belgium soil less than 48 hours later.

Higgins and Mark Williams have both withdrawn from the Lommel tournament due to their commitments in China, but Selby is focused on winning what be a remarkable double in successive weeks.

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An opening 4-1 win over Northern Irishman Sam Craigie on Tuesday night was followed up by a solid 4-2 victory over world number 43 Davis, who won the opening two frames only for Selby to click into something near top gear with runs of 62, 72, 55 and 58 enough for victory as Hastings potter Davis contributed only 59 points in the final four frames.

Selby shows class with lovely pot

Selby will face Ryan Day in the last 16 after the Welshman edged out Elliot Slessor 4-3 in the final frame after Northern Ireland Open semi-finalist Slessor produced 110 to force the match all the way.

Day maintained his composure to close out the match with a break of 72.

Elsewhere, Mark King was a surprise 4-0 winner over 2015 world champion Stuart Bingham - making breaks of 59, 124, 79 and 51 - while Scotsman Anthony McGill enjoyed a 4-3 win over Ali Carter as Masters champion Mark Allen downed Jak Jones 4-2.

In the evening session, defending champion Judd Trump fell 4-2 to Tian Pengfei.

World number 115 Tian Pengfei reeled off a break of 112 on his way to a two-frame advantage against Trump. However, The Ace in the Pack, a European Masters winner in 2016 and 2017, rallied to claw his way back into contention with a break of 65 in frame three before taking a scrappy frame four to level matters.

However, 31-year-old Tian Pengfei steadied himself to take the next two frames to set up a last-16 showdown against Liang Wenbo.