Mark Selby answers your qs - Eurosport (2024)

Edemrulez: After how many hours do you renew/change your cue tip? And do you service your cue yourself or does a cuemaker? I'm thinking with regards to the oiling/waxing.

MS: The waxing issue comes up very rarely as the cue is already waxed for you when you get it. There are some players who never get their cues waxed at all and they have had them for so long that you can feel the grain of the wood brushing off your fingers when you take a shot.

As for the tip, well it really depends on how much you are playing. If you are playing every day you might change the tip every three or four weeks but if there is a gap it could last longer.

I've had the same cue for about the last three years or so. I became a professional with a different cue but then I started feeling the grain a little and the cue just did not feel right so I changed it just before the 2007 World Championship and ended up reaching the final.

I've not had to get my current cue waxed at all and it still seems to be working out nicely for me.

Svetlana.kotova: I heard you might be coming to St. Petersburg this year. So is it just a rumour, or is there's a chance it could really happen?

MS: I'm not too sure, I know my manager Mukesh had been talking with somebody about doing a potential exhibition out there but I'm not sure if anything is going to come from it. All I can say is that I would be more than happy to play in Russia again. I played at the World Series of Snooker in Moscow about 18 months ago and it was a really good experience. The crowds were good too, showing that there is an interest in snooker out there so hopefully I'll get a chance to go back.

Rosirland: How is it to play with Ronnie at exhibitions? Is he more relaxed and less moody?

MS: Yes and no. Ronnie is Ronnie at the end of the day. He is a laid back guy and what you see is what you get. He is pretty much the same as he is at the tournaments, although obviously there is not the same pressure on him that there is when a tournament is on.

Connellrocraymond: I know players have to take their matches seriously, but do you think there should be a balance between seriousness and entertainment?

MS: I think, as you said, it is all about striking a balance. As players, I think we have to remember that we are all doing what we love and that if we lose a match it is not the end of the world. We could be doing far worse things for a living. So I don't think people should take things too seriously.

Also, if you are too serious, there is a risk that you end up trying too hard. I tend to play my best snooker when I'm relaxed and enjoying myself. You don't want to be too jokey either. But as I said before, it's about striking a balance.

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