Luca Brecel experienced an eventful Sunday as his car was towed away before winning the World Mixed Doubles title with Reanne Evans.
“I parked my car in the wrong place and it got taken away, so I had to go and get it just before the final and then just about made it back in time,” he told ITV Sport. “Crazy story. But luckily, I made it in time.
“I started off well and played a bit better than before, but not as good as I would have liked.
“It was still good enough to win, but I’m still not happy with the way we played. I guess Reanne will say the same, but I’m really happy to win this great tournament.
“I was already feeling much better in my game the last few months and winning this title helps a lot. Now I’m now really looking forward to Sheffield [World Championship].”
Meanwhile, it was a landmark evening for Evans after adding to her 12 world titles with Mixed Doubles success.
“[It’s] most definitely [special] – 22 years to play on TV and win a final,” she added.
“I know Luca carried me a little bit, and if I had known, I’d have towed his car right at the start of yesterday if he played like that.
“I’ve been playing a long time and it’s fantastic to be lifting a trophy and play in a final like this alongside all these great players.
“The crowd have been fantastic as well and I’ve really enjoyed myself. Yes, we didn’t play amazingly; we played a little bit better in the final and hopefully we can come back and try again.”
For Selby, it was a case of what might have been and the four-time world champion spoke about the challenges which the doubles format poses.
He said: “Playing doubles – whether it’s mixed doubles or just normal doubles – is always a tough format to try and play well and get any rhythm because you’re playing one shot every four, and sometimes you don’t know who is getting a pot.
“You could be sitting around for quite a long time before you get a chance. But I enjoyed it this weekend, it was good. I thought Rebecca played really well; she obviously showed why she’s No. 4 in the world, she made some good breaks during the weekend. Disappointed not to win, but to get to the final again was a good achievement.”