Well, that was a bit close!
At 8-9 down Mark Selby must have been wishing the world championship draw makers would run into the Crucible announcing: "Sorry, we screwed up the draw, you're meant to be playing someone else."
It wouldn't have been that surprising given the farce on Thursday when conflicting draws were being tweeted out, with Selby forced to take ask Twitter who he was playing.
While many may not have heard of London-born Norwegian citizen Maflin, those who follow snooker closely know he's a heavy scorer, a break-building machine who, despite his ability, hasn't been seen on TV much.
(By the way esteemed BBC commentator and analyst John Parrott 'hadn't seen much of him' which shows how much snooker he really pays attention to outside the 17 days in Sheffield).
Having said that, my match prediction was slightly wide of the mark. I had Selby down for a fairly comfortable win. But I was amazed at how Maflin seemed to be comfortable out in the Theatre of Dreams.
He really did seem at ease (though inside he was almost certainly nervous as hell).
I liked his manner and pace around the table. It was always consistent, never rushing when the adrenaline hit, and thoughtful when faced with a tricky shot.
So it was a shame he couldn't quite get over the line, but he must be pleased with his performance.
As for Selby's fist-pump and shouting when potting the winning ball, it's clear that Maflin didn't take offence.
It's also a sign of just how much it means to Selby. People forget how much emotion these guys go through out there. It must be almost painful, so if it's all bottled up as they try to win the match, then it has to be released when the pressure is lifted.
Well done Selby, commiserations Maflin.
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