Mark Selby in danger of missing Players Championship as Shoot Out winner Hossein Vafaei secures spot in top-16 event

World champion Mark Selby has work to do at the German Masters in Berlin this week if he wants to secure his spot at the prestigious Players Championship next month. Second seed Selby opens his campaign on Thursday in the German capital against world number 112 Barry Pinches knowing he is likely to at least reach the quarter-finals of an event he won in 2015 to keep alive his hopes of qualifying for the Players in Wolverhampton (7-13 February).

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If Selby – who lost 57-1 to Robbie Williams in the one-frame Shoot Out last 32 – overcomes Pinches, he would face Yan Bingtao or David Gilbert for a place in the quarter-finals and a guaranteed £10,000. Of course, there are others who will hope to muscle in the top 16 with Stephen Maguire only 4000 points behind Selby in 19th spot before he meets 22nd-placed Tom Ford in his opening match on Wednesday at the German Masters.