Selby set for Masters

Selby: Masters champion

I'm confident, I've been playing well recently, I played well in the Premier League this year which was really good. I've been playing well in practice and it's just a matter of taking it out there on the table but I know that I'm capable of doing it.

Mark Selby
Quotes of the week

Also see

• Snooker Schedule
• World Rankings
• Snooker DVDs

Mark Selby admits he will face a different pressure as he heads into the Masters as defending champion, as he talked to skysports.com about the upcoming event and his aims for the season.

World number for Selby won the prestigious Masters event last year on his tournament debut, and the high-profile victory elevated his status on the snooker circuit.

The 'Jester from Leicester' is now one of the best and most consistent players in the world but he points to last year's Masters win as a result that gave him real belief in his ability.

Selby will head back to Wembley in January as the defending champion and he admits that it will bring a very different pressure this time around.

"It was the first tournament I'd won and it was a great achievement, especially as it was on my debut in the Masters," Selby told skysports.com.

Pressure

"Coming back this year is going to be a different experience because I don't know what to expect.

"Obviously I'm going there as defending champion so it's going to be a different type of pressure, but at the same time I'm looking forward to it.

"At the moment I'm not feeling pressure but by the time it comes around I'm sure the pressure will probably kick in, but I'll just take it one stage at a time when I get there.

"Obviously the more and more you play well the more your profile is going to be raised anyway as long as you keep winning all the while.

"Apart from the World Championship there is no better tournament I could have won I suppose than the Masters.

"People say the UK's the second biggest tournament but I think a lot of people say they think the Masters is a better tournament, just behind the World Championship, and in my eyes I'd probably say the same."

Form

Selby says that his run to the final of the Premier League in his debut season has given him more confidence heading into a busy stretch with the UK Championship starting on Saturday and the Masters in January.

"I'm confident, I've been playing well recently, I played well in the Premier League this year which was really good.

"It was a great experience and it was a great start for me in my debut season, I was a little bit disappointed not to win it after having managed to get to the final, but also at the same time I'm happy with my performance being my first year.

"I've been playing well in practice and it's just a matter of taking it out there on the table but I know that I'm capable of doing it."

As Selby is rising through the rankings, he has his sights set on being world number one, but a World Championship win at the Crucible is also an ambition, after coming so close with a run to the final in 2007.

"I want both really," he added.

"My aim this year is to get to world number one, I mean I'm a good few points behind O'Sullivan, but I'm aiming for number one.

"I always set my goals a little higher than probably I'm capable of achieving, just so it pushes you that extra bit more,

"But to go on and win the World Championship is also a great aim of mine, but basically just to go on and win more rankings tournaments is the target."