Cahill causes snooker shockwaves after dumping Selby out of UK Championship

James Cahill caused the shock of the first round at the UK Championship after dumping out high-flyer Mark Selby in York.

The amateur took a 4-0 lead into the mid-session interval and didn’t look back, nervously holding out for a 6-3 win at the Barbican Centre.

It’s a result that sent shockwaves around the snooker circuit with Selby, seeded third, expected to go deep in the competition.

But Cahill is no stranger to the big victory having previously overcome two-time UK champion Ding Junhui.

Next up is a second-round tie with Akani Songsermsawad but for now the world is the 22-year-old’s oyster – regardless of what happens next in York.

“It’s a great win for me, hopefully I can take a lot of confidence from that into my next game – it is only round one,” said Cahill, who reached the last-16 at the Barbican in 2014.

“I’d practiced playing Mark on my own all week, I’d played out all the scenarios but I was surprised to be 4-0 up because I didn’t think I’d played that well.

“Looking back, I didn’t miss many pots and my safety was quite good – but at 4-0, Mark is the player you don’t want coming back at you.

“Even at 4-1, doubts start creeping in but I nicked a frame to get to 5-1 and that was quite big. Even though it’s three or four frames, you’re never there against Mark.

“I’m quite an experienced player, I’m still only 22 but I do have the past to rely on, I was playing one shot at a time and that’s what I’ve been working on.”

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