DAVID MORRIS said the “fear factor” of taking on snooker’s top players had disappeared after he dumped World Champion Mark Selby out of the Coral UK Championship.

The Irishman, the world number 63, sprang a huge shock in front of a packed house at the York Barbican, triumphing 6-4 with a performance of poise and composure.

Morris led 3-1 at the mid-session interval and, after Selby, the UK winner in the Minster city in 2012 and the finalist last year, fought back to 3-3, he produced a magnificent 126 to reclaim his advantage.

Closing out the match with efforts of 72 and 79, Morris hailed the victory as the best of his career.

He said: “It hasn’t really sunk in yet but I am happy to play well on television. I have played ten matches on TV and played pretty bad every time.

“It was good to hold myself together at the end and do it in one visit.”

Morris reached the fourth round last year, eventually going out to Stuart Bingham, and he said familiarity with the venue definitely helped as he cued up in front of the BBC TV cameras.

“There were quite a lot of people there but I actually got a buzz off it where sometimes before, when you are missing a few, you can get a little bit embarrassed,” he added.

“I was nervous all the way through the match. Even when I was 3-1 ahead I was still shaking a little bit on shots. I am not so used to the big stage but I just wanted to do my best every time.

“I made a 126 break to go 4-3 ahead. If he had won that frame, he could have ran out to 6-3. I am delighted to win and to beat someone of Mark’s class is a big feather in my cap.”

Morris continued: “I had a few good wins last year but I don’t think that compares to this because it is such a big event. I have had wins over Judd (Trump), John Higgins and a couple of others but this was in the UK Championship, in front of a packed audience and on the television table.

“That’s a big thing to me. To beat the World Champion you get a lot more recognition but there are so many good players now.

“To get a big scalp like that will give me confidence for the future.”

With the increase of tournaments and flat draws meaning games with the top 16 players are far more common, Morris said it had removed the mystique for some of the sport’s lower ranked stars when they do come face-to-face with the biggest names.

“That’s exactly what it does,” he explained. “I remember a few years ago looking for the guys. If you qualified for one venue and you met them you would be like ‘can I go on this practice table?’ Now we are all together and you get to socialise, have a meal and the fear factor goes away.”

Morris will play David Gilbert in the last 32 and he said: “I have played David two or three times. We always have good matches so I am looking forward to that. It will be a different match. We will be going in as equals whereas against Mark I had nothing to lose.”

Selby, meanwhile, had no complaints following his defeat. He said: “I didn’t play well at the very start of the game to be 3-1 behind. I deserved to be 3-1 behind. After the interval, I played a lot better but I thought David played better as well.

“On the day, I think he deserved to win.

“I was on 20 at 4-4 and I went into the pack. If I land on one there then I felt that I was going to take the frame and I could be sitting here with a different scoreline.

“It didn’t happen but all credit to David and good luck for the next round.”