Mark Selby tipped his shock conqueror Anthony McGill to carry off the Betfred World Championship title after the Crucible curse struck yet again.

Scottish potter McGill, a qualifier making his debut on snooker’s biggest stage this year, followed up his eye-catching 10-9 win over fellow Glaswegian Stephen Maguire by crushing Selby’s hopes of retaining the trophy.

He was rated a 150/1 shot for the title with bookmakers before the tournament began. But in clinching a 13-9 victory over Selby to reach the quarter-finals late Friday night, McGill never appeared overawed by the occasion or the gradual position of control he developed.

The 24-year-old finished off Selby with a break of 82, and as they shook hands, the man who beat Ronnie O’Sullivan in last year’s final told McGill he could go all the way.

Selby said: “He played fantastically all match and thoroughly deserved to win.

“Every time he got a chance he seemed to punish me.

“I said to him at the end that if he played like that there’s no reason he can’t win it.”

McGill, who promised his watching parents Tam and Helen a hearty hug, said: “I’m just ecstatic. To beat the world champion at the Crucible, I just can’t believe it.

“No-one expected me to win. I wasn’t expecting myself to win, I was just hoping to put up a decent fight and try my best.

“To beat champion Mark Selby 13-9 is just a dream.”

No first-time winner of the World Championship in Sheffield has returned a year later to retain the trophy, with Selby becoming the 16th to falter, joining a list that includes greats of the game such as Steve Davis, Stephen Hendry and O’Sullivan.

It has become known as the Crucible curse, but with that in mind Selby said: “I’ve no embarrassment in losing. You look at the greats who’ve won it for the first time and not defended it.”

McGill faces a last-eight clash with Shaun Murphy or Joe Perry who will be in action today.

As for his own thoughts of landing the trophy, McGill said: “I’ve knocked out the world champion, so you think whoever knocks him out could – but I don’t know.

“I don’t think people will be fearing me... I’m probably a good draw in the quarter-finals.”

Second round
Ding Junhui bt John Higgins 13-9.

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