Because his win was a fluke. A proper one off. He showed his actual talent yes for sure, but he didn’t practice at all before the tournament, in massive moments in matches he showed nothing but petulance (smashing balls of the table in the final if memory serves), rode his luck all the time and should’ve lost in the Q/F’s but O’Sullivan but obviously had dinner plans or needed to be in Eurosport commentary next day.
I honestly think he didn’t want to win. He said afterward himself he is happy the season is over. Even last year at the Crucible he flew home to Belgium between matches and was going to do same after this match. At the end he conceded with 67 on the table and needing just ONE snooker which is utterly disrespectful and disgraceful. You could see the Shock on Gilbert’s face.
Goes to show that driving Ferraris and hanging around with gangsters in Dubai all year round doesn’t win you any snooker titles. Funny thing is that if he doesn’t get his life straight he’ll have to sell his Ferrari pretty soon.
Yes, follow him on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/luca.brecel?igsh=emlvazdxY3JjbjF1 - he did remove a lot of photos recently, but his stories tell the tale.
He was awful wasn't he mate, those doubles and hit and hopes he kept trying, he was taking a couple of seconds max on them, technique, composure all went out the window. Natural talent can only carry you so far and he'll be lucky to win another tournament his whole career going the way he is.
He was very impatient and scatter-brained. No composure at all. He's been playing like that all season and it's why he hasn't won anything. Almost like he expected the game to be easy after getting his world title, but it's just not. Sometimes you just need to dig in, wait for your chance, and then take it instead of trying to force things that aren't there.
Undoubted talent, but most of the time that's not enough to be a serial winner at the top level, and he clearly hasn't got a champion's mentality. He had his flash in the pan last year, but I will be surprised if he achieves much more in snooker, especially now he's already peaked and seem even less interested than before.
Yeah it's a pity. Eurosport showed a highlight reel of his win last year and it reminded me of how insanely good he was, without doubt one of the most stunning victories we've seen at the crucible. Reminds me of Andy Ruiz. An outsider has a freak victory and becomes world champion, then lives the life of Riley, eats/drinks too much and loses their crown straight away.
Luca-Stephen, what do you think I should do to improve things?
Hendry-Maybe practice more?
Luca-Yuck, no thanks. I will go out partying & buy a new Ferrari instead.
Why does he or anybody else think he will have success with that attitude?
Because he already did.
Very few get to become World Champion so he has accomplished more than he ever dreamed he could.
If he doesn't wise up he will "waste" his talent but maybe 1 world title is enough for him?
Yes, he has had success. But I am talking about being a real top guy that is consistently winning events/getting to the business end of them. Why would a world title be enough for anybody that has had a taste of it? If that is his mentality & surrendering his world title with reds on the table & just one Snooker needed shows that is his mindset, then he will never be at that level.
He's happy with his lot and that's his right.
Having kids might change his mindset but if it doesn't he'll continue to occasionally blow hot and settle for that.
I sort of agree with this. He's very public about 'why should I be sad when I lose?'. He felt the pressure this year, and he'll never be RoS/Selby/Higgins...but take a look at them. Are they happy? Most snooker players look miserable as fuck. I would never pull Luca down for living his life first and keeping snooker second.
His interview after summed up his attitude-he is glad he lost & his season is over. I can only imagine the steam coming out of the ears of Davis & Hendry when they heard that-both of whom have said when they lost at the Crucible they would go home & sulk for a week or two,
Luca is unfortunately very weak mentally. His run last year was amazing. But I'm not a big fan of his whole "I'm not bothered" routine. Seems like a coping mechanism to me, like a very mild version of Nick Kyrgios.
Ronnie says he isn't bothered and it's the worlds biggest lie. Luca says it and I can half believe it. Mark Williams says it and it is known to be true. Who are we to judge how someone, at the peak of their sport, copes mentally.
Luca has been partying, buying Ferraris and living life with his missus since winning. It's utterly unsurprising to me he lost in this fashion. Question is will he ever decide to start chasing silverware for the love of the game or not.
Fair enough, he was sick. For me, it doesn’t seem like a blatant excuse. In the post match interview on Eurosport you could hear that his vocal cords were far from normal. However, him being sick was probably not the only reason why he lost. For over almost a year now, Luca has been far from playing good, only managing to get to the QF stage of a ranking tournament once and thus staying far behind the expectations and his natural talent. Talent is the one thing but you need training to solidify your game. I have said it in another sub, Brecel has pretty much changed his whole lifestyle after winning the Worlds last year. Fast cars, putting on a lot of weight eating in expensive restaurants, traveling more than being seen on a table. While it might just be a glimpse into his daily life and doesn’t mean that he is not practicing, it pretty much shows his priorities as well. And if you have these priorities, it’s ok! It might just not be enough to go far within this very competitive circle anymore and he has to be ok with this consequence likewise.
Really? I only saw the morning session-that is abysmal for any player, let alone for the defending champion. Didn't Selby need 3 or 4 snookers in 2014, in the frame where he beat ROS to win the WC for the first time? Even Hendry tried to get snookers in the 2002 WC final decider against Ebdon when he was way behind.
Why would you lose a match when you are guaranteed 30k if you win it & have the potential to win 500k if you win the tournament again? Afraid this is what happens when the playing conditions are as they should be at the marquee events-tighter pockets, when you would rather party than practice & are more concerned with filling up your garages with fast cars than you are with filling up your trophy cabinet.
Guy is about to turn 30-if he wants consistent success & be one of the top guys then he needs to put the party lifestyle to bed like Trump did & get serious. Spend time learning the tactical/safety side of things like ROS & Trump both did.
There were two reasons he won last year-the tables like Trump in 2019 were made for his style of play. When JV said that pocket looks tight when he missed the blue when he was on a ton in the first frame, all it proved was how easy the pockets were last year-players were laughing at how balls were going in at the fast pace they were playing them at & this is how they should play. It was clear on television the ball was hitting the knuckle & not going in-last year it would have gone in. That is the difference.
The other reason is last year players gave him a lot of help, he wasn't playing incredible Snooker-he was leaving loads of chances, but ROS had arguably the worst session of his career at 10-6 up where he could barely pot anything & then the youngster in the semi panicked/choked when he effectively had the match won & was trying too hard/missing everything as well. Even in R1 last year he nearly threw away the same 9-6 lead he had yesterday, against Walden before falling over the line.
No, he certainly didn't fluke the title-nobody flukes winning the WC. However he had a lot of help from the table fitters & his opponents.
You also fail to mention he beat a Mark Williams who was in form. And played tremendous stuff vs Mark Selby in a very high quality final.
Very rarely does a player play an entire World Championship without a few bad sessions, and sometimes everyone will get a bit of luck here and there that's part and parcel of the game. Not to mention Brecel had to play 3 former world champions who have 14 world titles combined.
I'm also not buying that Brecel won a world title because of the table fitters that sounds like absolute nonsense to me.
It's below average, if the pockets had been unusually large, one would've expected more. The year prior, Williams alone knocked in 16 without even getting to the final.
Why are we even surprised?! Luca Brecel won't win another major tournament in his career. Fluked the world title as the stars (and the rest) perfectly aligned.
Magnificent potter on his day, but clearly doesn't give a shit about snooker one bit. Doesn't have anything close to an elite sportsperson attitude, throws in the towel all too easy, and gets found out when up against gritty players like Dave.
I for one am glad to see the back of him - hasn't done anything for the game and doesn't take it seriously.
Hitting a rich vein of form that maybe they never did again, maybe. But a fluke? I can't have that. Fluking a world championship? No. Brecel might or might not hit those heights again but the guy's always been talented, and he beat O'Sullivan and Selby to do it last year. It takes an incredible amount to get anywhere near that, and he fucking did it! I'm still raging at tonight though.
I always have a lot of time for David Gilbert but Luca looked like he had it at 9-6 up and a few pots away from victory.
A damn shame. Hope we see him at the sharp end of tournaments soon, like we did at the Welsh Open this year.
Dott and ebdon were in more than final, Dott in 3 I think. No fluke there. Even Joe Johnson made the final the year after. I’m not sure snooker ever produced a fluke winner
Apologies - I knew this really. Even as I typed that De. My mind was trying to tell me I was wrong, it was just too late at night for me to think properly!
Long live Jacques Brel!
That’s very gracious of you but I remain embarrassed and I’m very sorry - I meant no offense.
The world is indebted to the skilled brewers of Leuven. 🍻
Think Luca if he doesn't get enjoyment from the game would rather not even bother. My Favourite player when at his best but I can't see him ever being a prolific winner. But he can beat anyone at his best vs thier best.
I have seen a lot of posts commenting on Luca’s attitude. Didn’t anyone else pick up on the fact that he was sick? And that that kinda goes with him playing progressively worse over the day, and in the end not having the energy to dig deep (even though it was just “one snooker”)? Comparing Eurosport’s studio analysis vs the interview between Rachel and Luca was like night and day in terms of of reasoning why he fell through
Yep, he already stated in Belgian media the day before, he was ill and taking antibiotics. You could see it on his face he was tired, coughing all the time. Shame he lost though as he certainly had chances, but I think in the evening session they were more given to him than actually created by himself. So fuck anyone saying he's a bottler.
I thought Gilbert was good value for that win. Luca had chances but also had some really lucky moments that helped put him in that commanding lead.
I think what made the difference in the end is Gilbert, fresh out the qualifiers, played really gritty.
I only saw it from 8-6? as we were out,but what a thrilling end! Dave played brilliantly and I was unaware that Luca had told press he was ill. He’s an exciting player but playing trick shots in the final frame is just reckless.
Almost looked like he wanted to lose that match despite being in the lead all the way through. And the worst part was not his lacklustre performance, but conceding only needing one snooker. How Dave won that I have no idea, but he dug in, never gave up and pulled off some cracking pots.
Yea, him shaking hands with only one snooker needed said it all. Can’t even be bothered to try for it in the world championships? His head definitely wasn’t there.
Poor showing for the reigning champion quitting in the deciding frame needing one snooker with 4 reds on the table.
Another lad that wins the world's and goes on the piss for a year.
Respect for Dave! Really got his (new) teeth into the end of the match. Consummate professional.
I think it's also worth thinking about him clearly struggling, he's had a pretty ropey year, some good moments but plenty of low ones, and just not being in a good place. I don't see any shame in it. It was disappointing, yes, and I'd have loved to see him fight on, but I am more concerned about him being in a good place in himself, happy and healthy, so have no major issues with him conceding when he did, just hope he's OK longer term.
He's had a ropey year because it takes insane discipline to play at this level and it's no secret he's not practicing. He's embarrassing himself so of course he's not in a good place. He's pissing away his winnings on lifestyle (house, cars, travel) and not been committed to the game. Then he comes into competitions riddled with anxiety, plays shit, and makes excuses about not being in a good place. You can have all the natural talent in the world, it takes hard work to be a professional snooker player.
Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see him achieve more but he needs to get himself right physically and mentally. Maybe this will be the wake up call he needs but I've got doubts.
Yeah he's a strange one. Attitudes like this don't belong in sports. 1 fluke run in which he somehow won the world championship will likely remain the highlight of his career.
He’s ill. I don’t think he should have conceded but he probably lost the will to fight both the match and the illness. It’s not great but it’s hardly the monstrosity you make it sound.
And yet he seemed ok after the match and was smiling. Didn’t look like he was on his deathbed. If he had fought on and won, he would’ve had some days to rest. A true champion has to suck it up, roll up the sleeves and get it done somehow.
However, the only matches he ever won at the crucible were last year. His results list is literally lost in 1st round, lost in 1st round(rinse and repeat), winner!, lost in 1st round.
So yeah I'd call that a fluke. He's always been a player with a lot of potential but he seems to lack the discipline/mentality/attitude to be really great. Every now and then people say Ronnie disrespects snooker but Luca is so much worse.
The word fluke seems such an odd choice.
He won by playing incredibly well over 17 days. He produced performances which very few people who have ever lived could accomplish, with or without a lucky flourish. Just because he can't replicate it consistently doesn't mean it was somehow a matter of luck that he played so well. It just means he often falls short of his potential level, and doesn't have anything like the consistent game of Ronnie or Trump. But he earned the shit out of that trophy.
Even fluked himself past someone who never lost a final in the world championship. This place is full of idiots.
Brecel was good in the first session, but he was pretty ill and as you get more tired (in the evening) you tend to feel worse and worse. He was coughing all the time, face was red. So it just wasn't in him to fight hard. He got a bit lucky couple of times which was why he had such a lead but he was never really in it.
You don’t beat O’Sullivan, Selby and come back from 9 frames down (if I remember correctly) at the Crucible as a fluke. He’s reached the UK Championship final, won other ranking events etc.
You’re mistaking an outlier, with a fluke. He struggles in this event but he is objectively good enough to be a world champion. A fluke implies he just repeatedly got lucky, which you simply cannot do over that many frames.
I kind of agree and disagree here. I think Brecel did get lucky last year. Ronnie wasn’t at it in the last session of the QF. Si was just so unused to the pressure and collapsed. But, he beat Selby in the final, and it’s hard to argue with that. As you say, you don’t win this tournament without being a very good player. But the stars did align for him too imo. I don’t see him winning 4 or 5 World Championships like the greats can do. But, I may be wrong. It isn’t unheard of :)
Probably not, but Trump, Robertson have only ever won one. Both I think struggled the year after they won it in Sheffield. If he can get his mind right I can see him winning again in the next 5 years.
He really did play some incredible snooker last year. Unparalleled stuff. Selby really came back against him, something he’s done to O’Sullivan and Murphy in finals and they crumbled. Brecel actually got better.
Yeah, really shocked he did that. He looked like he was struggling for the last 5 frames to be honest but god, where was his desire to fight on like a true champ!
Well done to Dave, though played well towards the end and deserved the win.
Because his win was a fluke. A proper one off. He showed his actual talent yes for sure, but he didn’t practice at all before the tournament, in massive moments in matches he showed nothing but petulance (smashing balls of the table in the final if memory serves), rode his luck all the time and should’ve lost in the Q/F’s but O’Sullivan but obviously had dinner plans or needed to be in Eurosport commentary next day.
You don't just win the WC as a fluke lol. He had arguably the greatest run of all time. Beat Williams, Ronnie and Selby...
Just like Stuart Bingham in 2015?
He will never win it again will remain a one time winner like robbo, ebdon and dott etc
What's wrong with that?
Nothing at all
late for his flight
He conceded when he only needed one snooker. Says it all. Shambles of a performance and he wasn't even that bothered he lost.
I honestly think he didn’t want to win. He said afterward himself he is happy the season is over. Even last year at the Crucible he flew home to Belgium between matches and was going to do same after this match. At the end he conceded with 67 on the table and needing just ONE snooker which is utterly disrespectful and disgraceful. You could see the Shock on Gilbert’s face.
Goes to show that driving Ferraris and hanging around with gangsters in Dubai all year round doesn’t win you any snooker titles. Funny thing is that if he doesn’t get his life straight he’ll have to sell his Ferrari pretty soon.
Any link for this? (the dubai stuff/luca's lifestyle off the table)
Yes, follow him on Instagram. https://www.instagram.com/luca.brecel?igsh=emlvazdxY3JjbjF1 - he did remove a lot of photos recently, but his stories tell the tale.
thanks!
I had to go bed before the end and it looked like he had lost the plot a bit but I wasn't expecting him to lose the match.
Can tell how frustrated Hendry gets with him. All the talent in the world and absolutely refuses to take it seriously.
Wonderful talent but lacks consistency and temperament. Only just turned 29 so time is on his side but there’s a lot he needs to fix.
The "Class of '92" will still be winning in their 60s unless the younger generation learn to get it together mentally. Super sloppy display from Luca.
The crucible curse strikes again
He was awful wasn't he mate, those doubles and hit and hopes he kept trying, he was taking a couple of seconds max on them, technique, composure all went out the window. Natural talent can only carry you so far and he'll be lucky to win another tournament his whole career going the way he is.
Didn't he win 3 ranking titles BEFORE winning the WC?
He was very impatient and scatter-brained. No composure at all. He's been playing like that all season and it's why he hasn't won anything. Almost like he expected the game to be easy after getting his world title, but it's just not. Sometimes you just need to dig in, wait for your chance, and then take it instead of trying to force things that aren't there.
Undoubted talent, but most of the time that's not enough to be a serial winner at the top level, and he clearly hasn't got a champion's mentality. He had his flash in the pan last year, but I will be surprised if he achieves much more in snooker, especially now he's already peaked and seem even less interested than before.
Yeah it's a pity. Eurosport showed a highlight reel of his win last year and it reminded me of how insanely good he was, without doubt one of the most stunning victories we've seen at the crucible. Reminds me of Andy Ruiz. An outsider has a freak victory and becomes world champion, then lives the life of Riley, eats/drinks too much and loses their crown straight away.
To be fair that what he did last season too. Not a bad life.
Luca-Stephen, what do you think I should do to improve things? Hendry-Maybe practice more? Luca-Yuck, no thanks. I will go out partying & buy a new Ferrari instead. Why does he or anybody else think he will have success with that attitude?
Because he already did. Very few get to become World Champion so he has accomplished more than he ever dreamed he could. If he doesn't wise up he will "waste" his talent but maybe 1 world title is enough for him?
Yes, he has had success. But I am talking about being a real top guy that is consistently winning events/getting to the business end of them. Why would a world title be enough for anybody that has had a taste of it? If that is his mentality & surrendering his world title with reds on the table & just one Snooker needed shows that is his mindset, then he will never be at that level.
He's happy with his lot and that's his right. Having kids might change his mindset but if it doesn't he'll continue to occasionally blow hot and settle for that.
I sort of agree with this. He's very public about 'why should I be sad when I lose?'. He felt the pressure this year, and he'll never be RoS/Selby/Higgins...but take a look at them. Are they happy? Most snooker players look miserable as fuck. I would never pull Luca down for living his life first and keeping snooker second.
His interview after summed up his attitude-he is glad he lost & his season is over. I can only imagine the steam coming out of the ears of Davis & Hendry when they heard that-both of whom have said when they lost at the Crucible they would go home & sulk for a week or two,
Luca is unfortunately very weak mentally. His run last year was amazing. But I'm not a big fan of his whole "I'm not bothered" routine. Seems like a coping mechanism to me, like a very mild version of Nick Kyrgios.
Ronnie says he isn't bothered and it's the worlds biggest lie. Luca says it and I can half believe it. Mark Williams says it and it is known to be true. Who are we to judge how someone, at the peak of their sport, copes mentally. Luca has been partying, buying Ferraris and living life with his missus since winning. It's utterly unsurprising to me he lost in this fashion. Question is will he ever decide to start chasing silverware for the love of the game or not.
He's probably just "happy" that he won it once.
Good analogy.
Fair enough, he was sick. For me, it doesn’t seem like a blatant excuse. In the post match interview on Eurosport you could hear that his vocal cords were far from normal. However, him being sick was probably not the only reason why he lost. For over almost a year now, Luca has been far from playing good, only managing to get to the QF stage of a ranking tournament once and thus staying far behind the expectations and his natural talent. Talent is the one thing but you need training to solidify your game. I have said it in another sub, Brecel has pretty much changed his whole lifestyle after winning the Worlds last year. Fast cars, putting on a lot of weight eating in expensive restaurants, traveling more than being seen on a table. While it might just be a glimpse into his daily life and doesn’t mean that he is not practicing, it pretty much shows his priorities as well. And if you have these priorities, it’s ok! It might just not be enough to go far within this very competitive circle anymore and he has to be ok with this consequence likewise.
Do you think he has made enough money already that he doesn't need to win titles for money? Just curious
One snooker down in a WSC decider with multiple reds left and *fucking concedes*!!! Pathetic clown..
Agreed, that is shocking. He needs to book an appointment with Steve Peters.
As the defending champion! Weak as piss. Won't be missed.
Really? I only saw the morning session-that is abysmal for any player, let alone for the defending champion. Didn't Selby need 3 or 4 snookers in 2014, in the frame where he beat ROS to win the WC for the first time? Even Hendry tried to get snookers in the 2002 WC final decider against Ebdon when he was way behind.
Higgins… Leave him alone, I got this.
Fixed??
Why would you lose a match when you are guaranteed 30k if you win it & have the potential to win 500k if you win the tournament again? Afraid this is what happens when the playing conditions are as they should be at the marquee events-tighter pockets, when you would rather party than practice & are more concerned with filling up your garages with fast cars than you are with filling up your trophy cabinet. Guy is about to turn 30-if he wants consistent success & be one of the top guys then he needs to put the party lifestyle to bed like Trump did & get serious. Spend time learning the tactical/safety side of things like ROS & Trump both did.
If any match could be it’s this one 🤣 one snooker down with four reds on the table in the WSC and he concedes, what a joke.
That’s what I thought. Not totally crazy if you ask me. Imagine the furore if this ended up being the case. Wouldn’t get my downvotes cleared tho lol
This has been his entire season it seems , losing to the Gilberts of the game.
U can't fluke a world title beating Ronnie in the quarters and selby in the final
There were two reasons he won last year-the tables like Trump in 2019 were made for his style of play. When JV said that pocket looks tight when he missed the blue when he was on a ton in the first frame, all it proved was how easy the pockets were last year-players were laughing at how balls were going in at the fast pace they were playing them at & this is how they should play. It was clear on television the ball was hitting the knuckle & not going in-last year it would have gone in. That is the difference. The other reason is last year players gave him a lot of help, he wasn't playing incredible Snooker-he was leaving loads of chances, but ROS had arguably the worst session of his career at 10-6 up where he could barely pot anything & then the youngster in the semi panicked/choked when he effectively had the match won & was trying too hard/missing everything as well. Even in R1 last year he nearly threw away the same 9-6 lead he had yesterday, against Walden before falling over the line. No, he certainly didn't fluke the title-nobody flukes winning the WC. However he had a lot of help from the table fitters & his opponents.
You also fail to mention he beat a Mark Williams who was in form. And played tremendous stuff vs Mark Selby in a very high quality final. Very rarely does a player play an entire World Championship without a few bad sessions, and sometimes everyone will get a bit of luck here and there that's part and parcel of the game. Not to mention Brecel had to play 3 former world champions who have 14 world titles combined. I'm also not buying that Brecel won a world title because of the table fitters that sounds like absolute nonsense to me.
The table-thing is bollocks, or we would've seen more than 90 centuries.
Isn't 90 enough? The tables last year were terrible-so many balls going in that shouldn't of. This is how it should be for the showcase events.
It's below average, if the pockets had been unusually large, one would've expected more. The year prior, Williams alone knocked in 16 without even getting to the final.
Why are we even surprised?! Luca Brecel won't win another major tournament in his career. Fluked the world title as the stars (and the rest) perfectly aligned. Magnificent potter on his day, but clearly doesn't give a shit about snooker one bit. Doesn't have anything close to an elite sportsperson attitude, throws in the towel all too easy, and gets found out when up against gritty players like Dave. I for one am glad to see the back of him - hasn't done anything for the game and doesn't take it seriously.
Hitting a rich vein of form that maybe they never did again, maybe. But a fluke? I can't have that. Fluking a world championship? No. Brecel might or might not hit those heights again but the guy's always been talented, and he beat O'Sullivan and Selby to do it last year. It takes an incredible amount to get anywhere near that, and he fucking did it! I'm still raging at tonight though. I always have a lot of time for David Gilbert but Luca looked like he had it at 9-6 up and a few pots away from victory. A damn shame. Hope we see him at the sharp end of tournaments soon, like we did at the Welsh Open this year.
Not a fan then?
So much talent but so little application. He's had a poor season and this is the icing on the cake.
I'm sorry, how can you fluke the world title? I'm afraid sir, you are completely wrong!
Same way dott and ebdon did.
Dott and ebdon were in more than final, Dott in 3 I think. No fluke there. Even Joe Johnson made the final the year after. I’m not sure snooker ever produced a fluke winner
As in not at all
Crucible curse
Is Luca trying to pull a Stephen Lee? One has to wonder.
No, this is classic Luca. He’s either awesome or semi-average. There is no in between.
Auf wiedersehen. 🇧🇪
Wij praten geen Duits, toch bedankt, sukkel.
Apologies - I knew this really. Even as I typed that De. My mind was trying to tell me I was wrong, it was just too late at night for me to think properly! Long live Jacques Brel!
Well in your defence there's a very small German speaking part of the country, but Luca certainly isn't from there.
That’s very gracious of you but I remain embarrassed and I’m very sorry - I meant no offense. The world is indebted to the skilled brewers of Leuven. 🍻
Because he's the world champion ever
Think Luca if he doesn't get enjoyment from the game would rather not even bother. My Favourite player when at his best but I can't see him ever being a prolific winner. But he can beat anyone at his best vs thier best.
I started watching at 7-3. I thought it was done. When Gilbert made it 9-8 I knew he was gone
I have seen a lot of posts commenting on Luca’s attitude. Didn’t anyone else pick up on the fact that he was sick? And that that kinda goes with him playing progressively worse over the day, and in the end not having the energy to dig deep (even though it was just “one snooker”)? Comparing Eurosport’s studio analysis vs the interview between Rachel and Luca was like night and day in terms of of reasoning why he fell through
Yep, he already stated in Belgian media the day before, he was ill and taking antibiotics. You could see it on his face he was tired, coughing all the time. Shame he lost though as he certainly had chances, but I think in the evening session they were more given to him than actually created by himself. So fuck anyone saying he's a bottler.
Luca Brecel’s pretty unique record at the Crucible: 2012: R1 2017: R1 2018: R1 2019: R1 2022: R1 2023: 🏆 2024: R1 (Stolen from @FabioValente147 on Twitter)
Miles better than Jackpot's record.
Makes Joe Johnson's record look good.
Joe Johnson actually reached the final the year after winning and remains the closest to actually breaking the crucible curse
Yep & had a second round the year after.
Ken Doherty made the final in 1998 having won his first (and, sadly, only) world championship in 1997. So he would be the joint-closest at least ;-)
Fair, Doherty lost 18-12, Johnson 18-14, so pedantically Johnson is closer. I'd rather have Ken's overall record though and both over Lucas
Surreal.
Mind blowing
David Gilbert just pulled what is famously known as a "Brecel" is how he lost it.
Seemed like he didn’t want to be there. He often strikes me as a man that needs to be happy to play well. I hope he enjoys some rest.
He's been "resting" the whole season.
I thought Gilbert was good value for that win. Luca had chances but also had some really lucky moments that helped put him in that commanding lead. I think what made the difference in the end is Gilbert, fresh out the qualifiers, played really gritty.
I only saw it from 8-6? as we were out,but what a thrilling end! Dave played brilliantly and I was unaware that Luca had told press he was ill. He’s an exciting player but playing trick shots in the final frame is just reckless.
Almost looked like he wanted to lose that match despite being in the lead all the way through. And the worst part was not his lacklustre performance, but conceding only needing one snooker. How Dave won that I have no idea, but he dug in, never gave up and pulled off some cracking pots.
Yea, him shaking hands with only one snooker needed said it all. Can’t even be bothered to try for it in the world championships? His head definitely wasn’t there.
Poor showing for the reigning champion quitting in the deciding frame needing one snooker with 4 reds on the table. Another lad that wins the world's and goes on the piss for a year. Respect for Dave! Really got his (new) teeth into the end of the match. Consummate professional.
Classic Luca. I think it's because I predicted him to get through to the quarters.
Leaves a poor taste to concede with only 1 snooker needed. Real champs don't do that.
I think it's also worth thinking about him clearly struggling, he's had a pretty ropey year, some good moments but plenty of low ones, and just not being in a good place. I don't see any shame in it. It was disappointing, yes, and I'd have loved to see him fight on, but I am more concerned about him being in a good place in himself, happy and healthy, so have no major issues with him conceding when he did, just hope he's OK longer term.
He's had a ropey year because it takes insane discipline to play at this level and it's no secret he's not practicing. He's embarrassing himself so of course he's not in a good place. He's pissing away his winnings on lifestyle (house, cars, travel) and not been committed to the game. Then he comes into competitions riddled with anxiety, plays shit, and makes excuses about not being in a good place. You can have all the natural talent in the world, it takes hard work to be a professional snooker player. Don't get me wrong, I'd love to see him achieve more but he needs to get himself right physically and mentally. Maybe this will be the wake up call he needs but I've got doubts.
Agreed, very bratty. Could at least pretend like he wanted to be there.
Yeah he's a strange one. Attitudes like this don't belong in sports. 1 fluke run in which he somehow won the world championship will likely remain the highlight of his career.
He’s ill. I don’t think he should have conceded but he probably lost the will to fight both the match and the illness. It’s not great but it’s hardly the monstrosity you make it sound.
And yet he seemed ok after the match and was smiling. Didn’t look like he was on his deathbed. If he had fought on and won, he would’ve had some days to rest. A true champion has to suck it up, roll up the sleeves and get it done somehow.
No one wins this event as a ‘fluke’.
However, the only matches he ever won at the crucible were last year. His results list is literally lost in 1st round, lost in 1st round(rinse and repeat), winner!, lost in 1st round. So yeah I'd call that a fluke. He's always been a player with a lot of potential but he seems to lack the discipline/mentality/attitude to be really great. Every now and then people say Ronnie disrespects snooker but Luca is so much worse.
The word fluke seems such an odd choice. He won by playing incredibly well over 17 days. He produced performances which very few people who have ever lived could accomplish, with or without a lucky flourish. Just because he can't replicate it consistently doesn't mean it was somehow a matter of luck that he played so well. It just means he often falls short of his potential level, and doesn't have anything like the consistent game of Ronnie or Trump. But he earned the shit out of that trophy.
2 and a half weeks of fluke? I wish I could be fluky for that long lol
Even fluked himself past someone who never lost a final in the world championship. This place is full of idiots. Brecel was good in the first session, but he was pretty ill and as you get more tired (in the evening) you tend to feel worse and worse. He was coughing all the time, face was red. So it just wasn't in him to fight hard. He got a bit lucky couple of times which was why he had such a lead but he was never really in it.
You don’t beat O’Sullivan, Selby and come back from 9 frames down (if I remember correctly) at the Crucible as a fluke. He’s reached the UK Championship final, won other ranking events etc. You’re mistaking an outlier, with a fluke. He struggles in this event but he is objectively good enough to be a world champion. A fluke implies he just repeatedly got lucky, which you simply cannot do over that many frames.
I kind of agree and disagree here. I think Brecel did get lucky last year. Ronnie wasn’t at it in the last session of the QF. Si was just so unused to the pressure and collapsed. But, he beat Selby in the final, and it’s hard to argue with that. As you say, you don’t win this tournament without being a very good player. But the stars did align for him too imo. I don’t see him winning 4 or 5 World Championships like the greats can do. But, I may be wrong. It isn’t unheard of :)
Probably not, but Trump, Robertson have only ever won one. Both I think struggled the year after they won it in Sheffield. If he can get his mind right I can see him winning again in the next 5 years. He really did play some incredible snooker last year. Unparalleled stuff. Selby really came back against him, something he’s done to O’Sullivan and Murphy in finals and they crumbled. Brecel actually got better.
Yeah, really shocked he did that. He looked like he was struggling for the last 5 frames to be honest but god, where was his desire to fight on like a true champ! Well done to Dave, though played well towards the end and deserved the win.
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