Matt Selt speaks out on qualifying outburst: ‘I’ve apologised and regret it’
Share:
Matt Selt regrets his outburst at the climax of his game with Artemijs Zizins in German Masters qualifying, saying an apology to his opponent has been accepted. Zizins beat Selt 5-4 on Tuesday in Sheffield in dramatic fashion, fluking match ball which elicited an angry reaction from the Englishman.
As the final red rolled into the unexpected pocket, the 39-year-old loudly shouted ‘Oh my God!’ and fumed in his chair, with the 18-year-old clearly uncomfortable. There were awkward scenes as the players shook hands, with Selt wishing the teenager good luck but Zizins obviously feeling guilty about how things went.
The clip of the incident went viral and Selt has come in for criticism, but he says he meant no malice towards the youngster and has apologised for putting him in an uncomfortable position. ‘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 Metro.
‘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. A post shared by Eurosport (@eurosport). ‘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.’.
