Snooker star who stunned Ronnie O’Sullivan in crisis ahead of World Championship

Ronnie O’Sullivan will hunt down an eighth World Snooker Championship title later this year.

With less than three months to go until this year’s Crucible campaign, world snooker champion Luca Brecel is in a chaotic condition. The Belgian surprised Ronnie O’Sullivan by winning the 2023 championship, but it appears from his recent results in ranking events that he will be far slower in his title defense.

In April of last year, Brecel overcame a 10-6 deficit to defeat the Rocket 13-10 in the quarterfinals. After defeating Mark Selby in the championship match, the 28-year-old won his first global title and a cool £500,000 in prize money.

“He played unbelievable,” raved O’Sullivan after their Crucible clash. “He’s such a good player, I love watching him play. His cue action, he gets through the ball so well. It’s incredible. The whip he gets on the white, the top spin, the thud he hits the ball with.

“He’s such a dynamic player, probably the most talented snooker player I’ve ever seen. I’d love to see him go and win it because that’s how snooker should be played. He’s a phenomenal talent and player.”

In contrast, Brecel hasn’t exactly delivered stellar performances this season. The defending world champion lost to O’Sullivan in the Shanghai Masters final in September, but since the competition began in July, he has not advanced past the quarterfinals of any ranking event.

Having crashed out in the first round of the British Open, Brecel subsequently failed to make it beyond round two of the International Championship or the UK Championship.

The Limburg-born talent made it to round three of the Scottish Open, while

battling to respectable fourth-round results at the European Masters and the

English Open – but that’s as good as it’s been for Brecel this season.

A turbulent few months went from bad to worse on Monday evening as he was knocked out of the German Masters in

the first round by world No 96 Singh Chadha. All told, the Belgian will have to

find several more gears if he is to replicate his world championship

success when snooker’s showpiece event gets underway in April.

Brecel acknowledged in November that he struggles to maintain the same level

of hunger as when he initially entered the sport. “I bought two more cars, so I went from a millionaire to a non-

millionaire,” he stated. “I made the deliberate choice to purchase the

automobiles in an attempt to relive the pressure of starting my profession and

perhaps feel that little bit of pressure again.

“I just didn’t feel that hunger or motivation as I moved from tournament

to tournament—I didn’t get lazy. That feeling bothers me, so I had to make a

change. I was no longer under any pressure. I was just having fun, and I was

glad to be back home even if I lost. It’s not a constructive way of thinking.”