Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

I'm the first arrived ... or not?

Scientists are still trying to figure out which came first: was it the fluffy, little chicken or the mysterious egg? The snooker "authorities" however, are interested in another tricky question: which was hit first, the red or the pink?


Of course that this question has a lot to do with the recently ended Shanghai Masters final given between Mark Selby and Mark Williams. During the 17th frame, Selby tried to escape from a snooker and hit the red ball first ... or was it the pink? That's the question!


The referee in charge, Eirian Williams had to make a very difficult decision in what ball was hit first. Due to red's trajectory, Eirian said that the red was touched first. The match was paused for several minutes this giving plenty of time for concentration to fly away and frustration to kick off.
At that particular point Mark Williams was leading 9-7 and needed only one frame to win the 2011 Shanghai Masters title. Although we can't say that Eirian William's decision cost his fellow-country the match, it did mean a lot to Selby who found enough time to put himself together during those lose minutes and start his terrific comeback.


That's why the WBPSA launched an inquiry regarding the above event. Jason Ferguson, the WPBSA Chairman, and former referee Alan Chamberlain will take into account each side of the story (Selby and Williams') in order to try and avoid this sort of situation in the future.

Ferguson said: "I want to make very clear from the outset that this inquiry is not part of any disciplinary procedure and has no effect on the outcome of the match. Mark Selby is a deserving champion and won the match fair and square. Our rules state that any decision by the referee is final. 


"However, through this inquiry we will look to establish tighter guidelines for referees when such difficult decisions need to be made. 


"A further statement will be released once the inquiry is complete."


Personally I think that WPBSA's involvement in this case is good and if this can help prevent a similar situation to what happened in Shanghai to repeat itself in the future - that's even better.
I dare to say that nothing can be worst than to win a tournament after such a controversial final. But all things aside although Selby won that 17th frame this shouldn't have stopped Williams from winning the very next one. We can't blame the red or the pink for that and certainly we can't blame Eirian Williams for the finality of the match. 

Still, that's all it takes to lose a match ... a few moments of madness and chaos.


Below you can watch the "huh?" moment (tip: see from minute 12:00)