More from Mark

Selby said the longer the match went on, the more he felt in control of things.

He added: “I felt a lot better as the match went on.

“I started off great before the break then I kinda lost it for a few frames and he got the momentum.

“I played a good frame for 3-3 and then after that I felt a lot better.

“I won that Championship League, I know it’s behind closed doors and only five frames, but winning breeds confidence. 

“The pleasing thing for me is the frames where I’m really having to battle, for about four or six months I was losing those and I’m renowned for them. I’ve won a few of those this week.

“It was difficult because I started as positively as I could have done and that momentum was sort of gone.

“But Luca’s health comes first so I told him we’d take as long as he needed.”

Luca anguish – Robertson’s gain

Luca Brecel’s defeat means he also misses out on the BetVictor bonus for the Home Nations tournaments.

He needed to win the tournament to catch Neil Robertson in the Order of Merit.

That means Robertson scoops the £150,000 bonus thanks to Selby’s victory this afternoon.

Not a bad payday to earn sitting with your feet up!

Semi final odds

Tough one to call, this second semi final. The bookies can hardly split them!

Ali Carter is JUST favourite, though.

• Stephen Maguire – 6/5
• Ali Carter – 4/6

Selby reacts

Mark Selby was thrilled to make the Welsh Open final and even though the medical time-out for Luca Brecel affected him too, he said it was only right that play resumed once his opponent was feeling better.

He told EuroSport: “I couldn’t have started off any better.

“A 131 break and feel like you’ve got momentum and then need to stop for 15-20 minutes.

“Obviously rightly so. If Luca had carried on after not being able to see it wouldn’t have been very good for the spectators.

“He told me he was struggling with a migraine and I told him to take as long as he needs. I would’ve let him have even longer too.

“But I understand with TV and world snooker that wasn’t possible but thankfully he was much better after that break.”

Weird start

In case you missed it earlier, the match was paused for around 20 minutes when Luca Brecel asked for a medical time-out after the opening frame.

He was complaining of a migraine after a terrible opening break off and after discussions with the referee, Selby and his father, Carlo, the game was stopped for a period of time.

A strange start to the game with Selby hitting a 131 break to take the opener but the pause didn’t affect the Jester in the end.

Selby class

It looked like he might’ve wrapped things up early doors when Luca Brecel went off with a migraine after the first frame.

But Selby did have to work for his win in the end after the Belgian’s recovery.

Only Brecel will know if he was fully fit in the second half of that match.

But Selby dominated things from then on.