Mark Selby one match due to jetlag. Selby reached the final qualifying round of the World Snooker Championship in 2002 and 2003, losing both times. Early in the 2005/06 season he began to be managed by former snooker professional and fellow Leicester resident Mukesh Parmar, and reached the final stages of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre for the first time. Selby went out in the first round, losing to John Higgins, but has qualified for the final stages every year since, including in 2006 despite a 147 from his final qualifying round opponent Robert Milkins. In that tournament, Selby
Mark Selby Pengfei, Robert Milkins, Ali Carter, and home favourite Ding Junhui, but was defeated 8–10 by Judd Trump in the final. At the 2011 World Championship, Selby set the record for the most century breaks compiled in a world championship match when he made six in his second round tie with Stephen Hendry. It was also a record for a best-of-25 match and took Selby's century tally for the season to 54, setting a new record for the most centuries compiled in a season. Selby's 2011/2012 season began by winning the non-ranking Wuxi Classic with a 9–7 victory over Ali Carter.