Matt Selt speaks out on qualifying outburst: ‘I apologized and I regret it’

There was controversy in Sheffield after Matthew Selt was beaten by Artemijs Zizins (Photo: Getty Images)

Matt Selt regrets his outburst at the climax of his match with Artemijs Zizins in German Masters qualifying, saying an apology to his opponent was accepted.

Zizins beat Selt 5-4 on Tuesday in Sheffield in dramatic fashion, missing the match ball, prompting an angry response from the Englishman.

As the last red rolled into the unexpected pocket, the 39-year-old shouted loudly: “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 visibly feeling guilty about the way things went.

The clip of the incident went viral and Selt was criticized, but he said he had no malicious intent towards the youngster and apologized for putting him in an uncomfortable position.

“It didn’t occur to me at the time, but I realized that this is a young professional, who probably looks up to a senior player, not in terms of what I did in the game, but just as an older player,” Selt told Metro.

“I shouldn’t have made that outburst. It’s the raw emotion of live sport. It was neither malicious nor derogatory. I said “well done” and “good luck” after the match. The match took place in a good atmosphere.

“I contacted him afterwards and said: ‘I’m sorry about yesterday, I hope the explosion didn’t upset you, it wasn’t planned like that and good luck in Berlin.’ He responded and his apology was accepted.

The situation certainly looked bad as Zizins remained at the table after his opponent’s votes, clearly playing in uncomfortable circumstances, but Selt says the outburst was actually a concession.

“I can’t stress enough that for me it was after the game was over,” he said. “I understand it looks bad, but I had already decided to concede once the red came in.

“I wouldn’t have been able to continue if he missed the bruise. I wasn’t trying to put the kid off. If he missed the bruise, I’d get up and shake his hand anyway.

“But as a senior player I should never have acted like that. He’s a lovely boy and he’s a very, very good player, he scored some very good balls in that match. I’m 100 sorry % of having done it, and especially in front of someone so young and new to the game.

Zizins achieved a big victory in his young career against Selt (Photo: WST)

“I certainly didn’t mean to upset him or make him uncomfortable in any way, it’s terrible for me if I did that, but it wasn’t meant to be rude or derogatory. But like i said i contacted him and apologized and he accepted it i regret it and i don’t want it to affect him in the future.

“Emotions are running high. The game is played with passion and we all do our best. This match was so important to me because it probably cost me a place in the Grand Prix.

After shaking hands, Zizins beautifully uttered the words “have a good Christmas”, which deeply impressed Selt.

“It really shows his class and character because he missed the match ball and looked distraught,” he said. “Then saying something nice to me on the way out shows how classy the child is.”

Selt noted that while he admits a mistake, the abuse he has since received on social media has been relentless and punitive.

“The last few days have been a bit of an eye-opener, with tons of abuse,” he said. “Abuse doesn’t usually bother me, but it certainly takes a toll on your mental well-being when you’re constantly subjected to it. It’s non-stop, it’s relentless.

Zizins booked his place at the German Masters in Berlin with this victory and is back in action on Sunday in World Open qualifying against Mark Selby.

Selt plays on the same day in the same tournament against Manasawin Phetmalaikul.

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