Matt Selt
Name: Matt Selt
DOB: March 7th, 1985
Nationality: English
Turned Pro: 2000
Highest Ranking: #65 (2009/10)
Current Ranking: #65
Highest Break: 143 (2008 UK Championship Qualifiers)
Career Highlights: 2008 Welsh Open last 48
Career Summary
First appearing on the tour for a year in 2002/3 as a teenager, Matt regained his place in 2007 by virtue of finishing 7th in the PIOS rankings for 2006/7. As a professional, his best result so far came at the 2008 Welsh Open when he defeated Ben Woollaston, Barry Pinches and Mark Davis to reach the last 48 before losing to Stuart Bingham.
Match-fixing allegation
In the summer of 2008 Matt was cleared of offering his opponent in a crucial PIOS match a £1,000 bribe to lose the match due to there being “insufficient evidence” of any wrongdoing. The full story can be found on the Guardian website here. Selt says in the article:
“Everyone who had anything to do with the hearing said they’d heard that I’d said it,” said Selt. “It was just Chinese whispers. I absolutely did not offer bribes.”
2008/9
Having just done enough to retain his place on the tour for 2008/9, a consistent season in which Matt lost just one opening round match has seen him retain his place on the tour for another season.
Despite this however, his campaign ended in slight disappointment as having won his opening match against Robert Stephen in impressive style, he then lost what was effectively a play-off for a top 64 spot in his next match with Rod Lawler. Had he won this he would have moved up into the top 64 and started his matches in 2009/10 in the second round rather than the first but it was not to be as Rod took a comfortable victory.
