Mark Selby fears Welsh Open quarter-final whitewash at hands of in-form John Higgins - '17-0 tomorrow'

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Mark Selby and John Higgins both advanced to the quarter-finals of the Welsh Open with wins on Thursday to set up a blockbuster clash on Friday afternoon. The two met earlier in the season in the final of the British Open and Selby is relishing the prospect of another meeting with Higgins. Watch and stream top snooker action, including the Welsh Open, live and on demand on Eurosport and discovery+

Selby sinks ‘shot of the week’ red against Jones at Welsh Open

Video credit: TNT Sports

Mark Selby is relishing taking on one of snooker's "all-time greats" in John Higgins in the quarter-finals of the Welsh Open, but joked he feared being whitewashed.

Selby eased past Jamie Jones to book a meeting with Higgins, who breezed into the last eight with a 4-0 win over Yuan Sijun to extend his perfect record this week to 12 frames.

Their most recent encounter was in the final of the British Open earlier this season, which went the way of Selby.

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Both are in good form, and Higgins’ impressive record in Llandudno has not been lost on Selby.

"I did see he’s 12-0, so all of a sudden I’m not looking forward to it," Selby joked in the Eurosport studio. "17-0 tomorrow."

Selby and Higgins have faced off for the biggest prizes in the sport, notably the finals of the World Championship in 2007 and 2017 - with one win apiece.

"Me and John have had some great games over the years," Selby said. "I have got so much respect for John, one of the all-time greats. I rate him highly, and he is a great guy as well.

"I think he has been playing well this season. I know he got to the British Open final, but since then he’s not had the results. But it’s not because he’s been playing poor snooker."

Selby looking forward to clash with ‘all-time great’ Higgins at Welsh Open

Video credit: TNT Sports

Selby arrived in North Wales feeling under the weather, but his condition has improved.

"It has gone off my chest," Selby said. "The first game was brutal. I thought I was dying out there.

"It is weird as it does take your mind off the job at hand. Because you are so ill, you just go out there and it takes the pressure off.

"On Monday I played alright considering how ill I felt."

BRECEL EASES PAST PANG

Luca Brecel was a 4-1 winner over Pang Junxu in a match that failed to catch fire.

The highest break of the contest was 69 from Brecel in the concluding frame, but he did enough to set up a meeting with Jackson Page, the last Welsh player standing.

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Video credit: TNT Sports

LISOWSKI TOO GOOD FOR SELT

Jack Lisowski continued his fine run of form in Llandudno with a 4-2 win over Matthew Selt.

Lisowski was not as blisteringly hot as in his victories over Joshua Cooper and Chris Wakelin, but he still crafted two centuries to set up a meeting with Stephen Maguire.

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Watch and stream top snooker action, including the Welsh Open, live and on demand on Eurosport and discovery+

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