It may have taken him nine years more than he originally planned, but Luca Brecel’s childhood prophecy has finally been fulfilled. Before he had even stepped through the doors of a Crucible Theatre as a highly-rated 17-year-old, becoming the youngest player in the tournament’s history, the Belgian had already predicted he would become world champion by the age of 19.
That, clearly, did not materialise as planned. Brecel hadn’t even won a match here as recently as three weeks ago, going out in the first round on all five of his previous appearances at the Crucible. But now, snooker has its first world champion from mainland Europe and the boy who first picked up a cue as a precocious nine-year-old has delivered on his promise.
Up until now, the town of Maasmechelen’s most famous sporting export was the Arsenal forward, Leandro Trossard. But after surviving a thrilling fightback from Mark Selby on Monday evening, Belgium has a new sporting superstar to celebrate. The 28-year-old is the youngest world champion since Shaun Murphy in 2005: but he had to survive a nerve-shredding night in Sheffield.
Leading 9-8 overnight, Brecel won six of the eight frames in Monday’s afternoon session to move 15-10 ahead. When he extended that lead to six with the first frame of the evening, it felt like a case of when, rather than if, he would get the job done. But Selby, snooker’s granite-like grandmaster, stirred superbly to bring it back to 16-15.
It felt like an inevitability Brecel would wilt. But somehow, he crafted a chance to move one away before the following frame, with the wind back behind his sails, closed the final out with a break of 112 to fulfil his dreams. Brecel has been wonderful all tournament, playing entertaining snooker with great freedom.
The pressure of the hype that has sat on his shoulders since his debut all those years ago lifted as the tournament progressed. There is an expectation his victory could provide a boom for snooker in Belgium but such has been his effervescent style, Brecel will give a shot in the arm for the game all over the world. “I was so nervous because I wanted it to happen for Europe and for Belgium,” he admitted. “I can’t wait to see what happens now.”
Young, aspiring players will want to follow in his footsteps, not least when he admits he hates practising, prefers to party after victories before claiming in the runup to this tournament he had practised mere minutes in weeks, instead opting to practise darts. “This has been a crazy week, no practice, just partying,” he smiled afterwards. “It shouldn’t be legal!” Brecel is not your conventional champion, he is different: and snooker should embrace that.
You wondered if, with the finishing line tantalisingly in sight, Brecel would spend the three hours between sessions pondering a more conservative style to get over the line. That was quickly dispelled inside the opening frame of the evening session as a fine break of 67 moved him to within two of the title.
But it was impossible to imagine Selby simply wilting despite being near the point of no return. He is not built that way. What followed was emphatically one-sided as Selby ran off five straight frames during which time, Brecel did not score a single point. It was, if nothing else, fantastic to see Selby rally after a year in which he has disclosed his own struggles with mental health. “It’s been tough,” Selby admitted. “I’ve not really been practising since January with everything going on. Hopefully we’re coming out of the other side of it now.”
The momentum was clearly with Selby but in frame 32, the opening Brecel had craved as he watched on with increasing nervousness arrived. A break of 43 saw him rediscover his touch and then, the following frame, he delivered the decisive blow you wondered might never arrive in some style. A scintillating break of 112 saw raw emotion pour out of Brecel. Selby, the great champion he is, embraced him with great humility. Snooker not only has a new champion of the world, it has a new rock star of the baize atop of the mountain, too.
