THE FACTS
When is Mark Selby vs Yan Bingtao taking place and what time does it start? Tuesday 17th March, 2020 – 19:00 (UK)
Where is Mark Selby vs Yan Bingtao taking place? Venue Cymru, Llandudno
What channel is Mark Selby vs Yan Bingtao on? ITV4
Where can I stream Mark Selby vs Yan Bingtao? ITV Hub
Where can I get tickets for Mark Selby vs Yan Bingtao? You can find ticket details for the 2020 Tour Championship here
What was the outcome in the last meeting? Mark Selby 4-0 Yan Bingtao
THE LOWDOWN
MARK SELBY
- Mark Selby was on the end of a shock loss against Lyu Haotian in the last 32 of the Gibraltar Open at the weekend as the Englishman’s poor form continued ahead of next month’s World Championships.
- Selby claimed both the English and Scottish Open earlier in the season but has struggled since then having failed to progress beyond the quarter-final stage of any tournament since his success in the latter.
- Selby qualified for this event last season but was defeated in his first game by Neil Robertson in a thrilling contest that went to a final-frame decider and he will hope that he does not suffer the same fate here.
YAN BINGTAO
- Yan Bingtao was unable to bounce back from defeat to Judd Trump in the Players Championship as he suffered a disappointing loss to Tian Pengfei in the last 128 of the Gibraltar Open.
- Yan has only faced Mark Selby twice in his career to date with the pair sharing one win apiece but it was the Englishman that came out on top in their contest earlier in the season at the Champion of Champions event.
- The 20-year-old has enjoyed an impressive season to date having claimed a maiden world ranking event title at the Riga Masters and he will believe he can progress to a sixth semi-final during this event in Wales.
THE PREDICTION
Yan Bingtao has enjoyed a breakout year and will hope to put in another good showing at the Tour Championship. He faces an out of sorts Mark Selby who has failed to kick-on after claiming the title at both the English and Scottish Open and that should make this an interesting contest. Both men will want to build some form ahead of the World Championships and will be confident of success here but in a match that could go either way, this is likely to be a lengthy match that lasts at least 15 frames.