Belgium’s Luca Brecel became the first player from mainland Europe to win the world snooker championship, defeating Mark Selby 18-15 in Sheffield.
Brussels, 28, is only the fourth non-British winner at the Crucible and the first foreign player to triumph since Neil Robertson in 2010.
Brussels won six of eight frames Monday afternoon to take a 15-10 lead.
A visibly emotional Brussels took the evening’s three frames to victory and the £500,000 top prize.
“It’s amazing. [Selby] is the worst opponent going into the final. He just keeps coming back, he’s such a fighter and at 16-15, I honestly just won,” Brecel told JEE News. Didn’t like it,” Brecel told JEE News.
“I was missing balls from a mile away. I don’t know how I did it. Once I got to 17 I thought if I had a chance to clean up, which I did. It was a lot. It’s a good feeling.”
Despite becoming the youngest player to take part in the tournament in 2012 at the age of 17 years and 45 days, the ‘Belgian Bullet’ had remarkably not won a single match at the famous venue until that year, his He had lost five of his previous matches in the first round. Visits
“Snooker is a tough game and in the first round [this year] I could have lost to Ricky Walden – I beat him 10-9,” he added.
“If I had lost that game, everyone would have said ‘he lost again in the first round’ and now I’m the winner, in snooker it’s by a small margin, it’s crazy. I still can’t believe it.”
It’s a moment that has been a long time in the making for Brussels, who ends the season having climbed eight places to second in the world rankings behind Ronnie O’Sullivan.
But it only came when he was put through the toughest tests by England’s four-time world champion Selby, who won five frames in a row and scored 315 points without reply at one stage to get back to 16-15.
With the tension mounting Brecel knocked in a timely 51 to leave himself on the brink of victory, which he confirmed with a brilliant break of 112.
After losing Sunday’s opening session 6-2, the way Selby fought back within a frame in the second session – a run that lit up a scintillating 147 maximum break – raised significant questions. How Brussels might respond.
But, resuming 9-8 on Monday afternoon, Brussels produced an incredible display of attacking snooker to seemingly take the match away from his opponent once again, winning 113, 101, 141. and compiled four brilliant century breaks of 119.
In what was billed as a test of Brussels’ mental endurance in a contest in which he was undoubtedly skilled, few inside the Crucible Theater could have been prepared for his blistering debut.
Brecel fired in doubles, a succession of spectacular long pots and seemingly cleared balls at will as he rattled through the first four frames in less than an hour.
It was a theme that continued early into the closing session, with Brecel making a number of stunning pots to make a 67 that saw him lead 16-10.
Brecel’ charismatic style has endeared him to fans around the world, particularly in his famous victories over O’Sullivan and Si Jiahui during the run to the final.
But when things don’t go to plan, the downside is that it guarantees his opponent opportunities – and few in the game are as ruthless as Selby in taking advantage of them.
A wild effort on the long blue saw Selby reduce the arrears with a break of 78 and he then made a brilliant 122 on his way to a 16-13 midway lead.
Selby’s charge continued with a half-century in the 30th frame and a flick read put him on course for victory in the 31st frame.
It opened up the possibility of a first Crucible final since Peter Abdon’s 18-17 victory over Stephen Hendry in 2002, but Brecel recovered to cross the line for an emotional victory.
“I battled and gave everything but every credit to Luca that he deserves,” said Selby, Crucible champion in 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2021.
“Congratulations to Luca, he’s a great talent and a great lad with a lovely family. I wish him all the best. It was great to score 147 at the Crucible, I never thought I would. I will do it in the final.
“It was an amazing achievement and something I will remember for the rest of my life but it’s not about me today, it’s about Luca, he’s had a fantastic game over two days.”
