'I needed a wee!' - Bladder woe sparks successful strategy change for Jack Lisowski in Northern Ireland Open win against Mark Selby

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Widely regarded as the best player to have never won a ranking event, Jack Lisowski certainly impressed at the Northern Ireland Open on Wednesday with a superb win over Mark Selby. His usual dazzling long game was on display as he dispatched Selby 4-2, and then revealed how needing the toilet changed his final-frame strategy. Live coverage of the tournament continues on TNT Sports and discovery+.

'I needed a wee!' - Lisowski says he avoided re-rack due to bladder woes

Video credit: TNT Sports

Jack Lisowski said he changed his strategy in the final frame of his 4-2 Northern Ireland Open win over Mark Selby due to needing the toilet.

Lisowski's typical dazzling long game proved too strong for four-time world champion Selby at the Waterfront Hall on Wednesday, but he could have been in for a longer afternoon had he not been forced into a change of strategy.

An ambitious long red, stunningly executed by Lisowski, kick-started his match-winning break of 65. He then told Alan McManus in the TNT Sports studio that he was keen to make a quick exit from Table 1.

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"Always very good to beat Mark," Lisowski said. "I finished well at the end. I needed a wee, so I wanted to get out of there.

"Honestly, I was going to play for a re-rack, I don’t know why I didn’t go to the toilet at 3-2. But yeah, good break."

Lisowski is widely regarded as the best player in the game to have have never won a ranking event title.

Some of his performances in recent years make that hard to believe, with McManus stating the 34-year-old's long game is among the best in snooker's current crop.

'Absolutely stunning' - Lisowski slams home 'breathtaking' long red

Video credit: TNT Sports

Lisowski's all-out attacking style makes him one of the most entertaining players to watch. And he hopes he can soon give his supporters more to cheer.

"I think it’s tough to support me, because there’s so much heartbreak," Lisowski said. "Maybe if I won a few I’d get a few more fans."

In hope of doing that, Lisowski has been working alongside renowned coach Chris Henry to sharpen up his understanding of the game.

But first and foremost, he insists he will always prioritise potting over defensive play.

"He’s given me things to work on, I just concentrate on potting," Lisowski said.

"I’m not really thinking about tactics. If they go in, I’ve got a chance. It’s hard doing it, but I’ve done it for this long.

"That’s one thing Chris is giving me right now, helping me understand the science of the white ball. Where you strike it, because I didn’t know, I didn’t have a clue.

"Honestly, that was cool to learn, it took me a while, but I think it’s coming a bit more naturally now.

Selby steals 'dramatic' opener after Lisowski misses frame ball

Video credit: TNT Sports

"Hopefully it can give me a bit of solidness, because my good game is really good, but my bad game is nowhere near.

"When I’m on it, I can just look down the cue and I know where it’s going, it feels really easy. When I play bad, I haven’t got a clue what’s going on, it’s such a hard sport."

Lisowski's win over Selby sets up one of the most intriguing matches of the Northern Ireland Open so far, a third-round clash with Thepchaiya Un-Nooh.

"People like watching me and Thepchaiya play," Lisowski said. "We’re just a bit clueless in the safety department.

"Not one-dimensional, but if we see a shot, we’re going to go for it. We try to get on with it. Not many people do that nowadays."

Watch and stream top snooker action, including the 2025 Northern Ireland Open, live and on demand on TNT Sports and discovery+

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