Matt Selt discussed his outburst with Stephen Hendry. (Image: Stephen Hendry’s Cue Tips.)
world No. 33 Matt Selt has backtracked on his apology to Artemijs Zizins and played down an incident during the end of their German Masters qualifying match.
The Latvian 18-year-old claimed a huge scalp by defeating Selt in a deciding frame, albeit through fortuitous circumstances. Zizins fluked match ball and watched it go into the opposite corner than he had planned, but entered the tournament proper nonetheless after it dropped in.
Selt, however, made his frustrations clear for all to see as , shaking his head while sat down.
The referee attempted to calm down the tension as Selt could still be heard muttering and making noise while leaving the venue, only for the Essex-born potter to tell the official: “Shut up!”
Selt later revealed that he had sent a text to Zizins to offer an apology for his conduct and wishing him well when the competition reconvenes in the Berlin Tempodrom.
“It didn’t occur to me at the time but I have realised that he’s a young professional, probably looking up to a senior player, not in terms of what I’ve done in the game, but just as an older player,” Selt told the .
Matt Selt gathering his equipment before walking out before the end of his match. (Image: Eurosport.)
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“I shouldn’t have made that outburst. It is raw emotion of live sport. It wasn’t malicious or derogatory. I said ‘well played’ and ‘good luck’ after the game. The game was played in great spirits.
“I reached out to him after and said: ‘I’m sorry about yesterday, I hope the outburst didn’t upset you, it wasn’t meant like that and good luck in Berlin’. He messaged back and apology accepted.’
“But as a senior player there’s no way I should have acted like that. He’s a lovely lad and he’s a very, very good player, potted some silly good balls in that match. 100 per cent I regret doing it, and especially in front of someone so young and new to the game.”
However, Selt has since appeared in a new video on snooker legend , where he has played down the outbursts and insists that he did little wrong – a far cry from his earlier apology.
Matt Selt has been talking to Stephen Hendry. This was recorded the day after Selt’s outburst at the end of his qualifier against Artemijs Zizins. What’s your reaction to this? Selt later said he was sorry and regretful but that certainly doesn’t seem to have been the case here.
— Nick Metcalfe (@Nick_Metcalfe)
“It is what it is,” Selt said while chuckling with a big grin on his face. “The kid fluked match ball, he played great and I let the emotion out.
“Once he had potted the ball I couldn’t win so it was not a case of doing something that would have distracted him or put him off, the match was over and it was just a natural reaction.
“I didn’t put the kid off so I don’t see what the problem is really, well there’s no problem at all for me.”