Mark Selby registers his first win against Barry Hawkins in Round 1 of 2012 Wuxi Classic
Last year was not a convincing finish for the World Number one Mark Selby since he had to pull out of the 2012 China Open because of a neck injury. The same problem troubled him during his 2012 World Snooker Championship match against the 2012 Snooker Shootout
winner Barry Hawkins at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield.
However, after the 2011-12 Snooker Season finished, the Englishman got his neck properly treated via a sports massager to get himself ready for the next season. The Englishman has begun his 2012-13 Snooker Season campaign with his opening match of the 2012
Wuxi Classic snooker tournament against the same opponent he faced in the previous World Championship, Barry Hawkins of England.
Because the pain in his neck has subsided, Selby performed impressively in his opening match against Hawkins and was able to oust him easily by the score line of 5-2 at the Wuxi Sports Center arena in Wuxi, China. Selby dominated the game from the very start
and did not let his opponent create any difficulties for him during the competition.
While speaking to the local media at the end of the game, Selby said, “At the end of last season I was worried about whether I'd be able to play again or whether it would go completely, and whether I'd have the chance to perform and keep playing. But the
problem is 90 per cent gone and I'm playing without much discomfort.”
The Jester from Leicester added, “I'm just happy to be playing again. To be here is a bonus but to perform the way I did on the first game of the season, I'm over the moon. I had an MRI scan after the China Open and was diagnosed with a bulging disc in my
neck.”
Selby tumbled down in the first frame and it seemed that the after effects of his neck injury might still be troubling him. However, he showed great determination and clinched three consecutive frame wins firing tremendous breaks of 62, 120 and 57 and finished
the first session of the match with two-frame lead at 3-1.
Selby did not have to push himself hard in the second session and clinched two frame wins to hit the victory by the score line of 5-2.
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