Matthew Selt

Matthew Selt, born on March 7, 1985, in Romford, London, England, embarked on his professional snooker career in 2002. He qualified for the professional tour by finishing seventh in the Pontin’s International Open Series in the 2006/2007 season. Early in his career, Selt cleared his name in 2008 following WPBSA allegations regarding a match in the 2007 International Open Series. His initial years saw him making significant strides, including reaching the last 32 of the 2009 Shanghai Masters and the main stages of the 2009 Grand Prix, where he faced notable players like John Higgins and Stephen Hendry. The 2011-12 season marked a turning point for Selt as he reached his first ranking event quarter-final at the Australian Goldfields Open, defeating John Higgins and Stephen Hendry before losing to Shaun Murphy. He also made his debut in the UK Championship in 2011 and later qualified for the World Snooker Championship for the first time in 2013.

Selt continued to build his career with consistent performances. He reached his first professional final in 2014 at the minor-ranking Lisbon Open, where he was a runner-up to Stephen Maguire. In the 2014-15 season, he advanced to the fourth round of the UK Championship, where he faced Ronnie O’Sullivan. Selt’s dedication led him to finish the season inside the top 32 in the world rankings for the first time. A significant milestone in his career came in 2019 when he won his first ranking title, the Indian Open, by defeating Lyu Haotian in the final. This achievement followed a semi-final victory against John Higgins. He made his second ranking final appearance at the 2022 Turkish Masters, finishing as runner-up to Judd Trump. Selt has made multiple appearances at the Crucible Theatre for the World Snooker Championship, notably in 2013, 2015, 2021, and 2023, coming close to a win in 2015 against Barry Hawkins. He reached a career-high ranking of 20 and has accumulated 220 century breaks as of October 2025. In February 2025, Selt received a three-month suspended ban and a £10,000 fine from the WPBSA for his behavior at the 2024 Saudi Arabia Masters, for which he issued a full apology. He has also equaled the record for the most century breaks in a single tournament, achieving 23 at the Championship League in 2023.