Selby Shows Class as McGuigan Battles Nerves in Scottish Open Thriller
In the opening stages of their encounter at the 2025 Scottish Open, Mark Selby showed a glimpse of his class, but not without some struggles. The seasoned Selby found himself in a tight spot in the first frame, unable to fully shake off the nerves. His young opponent, 19-year-old Robbie McGuigan, made a strong impression early on, but the pressure of facing a snooker legend proved too much for him. Despite the promising start, McGuigan couldn’t quite sustain the intensity required to challenge Selby consistently.
However, the young player’s resilience shone through in the fourth frame. He capitalized on a few loose shots from Selby, pulling back a frame to make it 3-1. McGuigan seemed to find his rhythm and was beginning to settle into the match, even if the daunting task of maintaining composure against a player of Selby’s caliber weighed heavily on him.
The fifth frame offered McGuigan more opportunities as Selby made a series of uncharacteristic mistakes, but the young challenger couldn’t take full advantage of the openings. As the match progressed, Selby’s experience began to dominate. With steady breaks and a sharper focus, he closed out the frame to make it 4-1, putting him on the brink of victory.
Despite the result, McGuigan’s performance was a learning experience. He may not have won, but the match was a valuable lesson in managing pressure and capitalizing on chances—a skill that will surely benefit him in the future.
