World Snooker Championship 2018: Mark Selby trails 7-2 against Joe Perry
- From the section Snooker
| 2018 World Championship |
|---|
| Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Dates: 21 April - 7 May |
| Coverage: Watch live across BBC One, BBC iPlayer, BBC Two, BBC Red Button, Connected TV, the BBC Sport website and mobile app. |
Defending champion Mark Selby is in trouble against Joe Perry, trailing 7-2 after the first session in the opening round of the World Championship.
Leicester's Selby is on a 10-match winning streak in the tournament having won back-to-back titles by beating John Higgins and Ding Junhui in the last two finals.
But he suffered a nightmare start on the opening day, falling 4-0 behind to 2008 semi-finalist Perry, who made a century to lead by five frames.
The pair resume at 19:00 BST - in a match which will be live on the BBC - with the winner needing to reach 10 frames to progress.
Selby has had a mixed season, hampered by a troublesome neck injury, but came to Sheffield in confident mood after winning the previous China Open event.
But he will need to call on all his trademark grit and experience to turn the match around against 43-year-old Perry - the competition's oldest player - who made breaks of 109, 63, 59 and 56 to take control.
Five-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan faces Scotland's Stephen Maguire in the afternoon session.
'The Rocket' is aiming for a record sixth ranking title of the season and 34th overall as he looks to close in on Stephen Hendry's all-time record of 36.
Elsewhere, Hong Kong's Marco Fu fell 6-3 behind against debutant Lyu Haotian after the first session. They play to a finish on Sunday from 19:00 BST.
