Taking on world No2 Mark Selby is difficult enough at the best of times, but Dominic Dale could at least plead illness and preparation that was far from ideal after slumping to a 4-0 defeat at the last-32 stage of the BetVictor Welsh Open. Unluckily snookering himself and then going in-off on the blue in the decisive frame only made the Shootout champion feel worse. Dale said: “All day in the studio on Tuesday I was shivering and feverish, and really felt very ill. At least it wasn’t as bad today out there and I only had a bit of a headache. Bad as I felt, you can’t win a match with the run of the ball I got out there. I haven’t had a match like that for years.”