Belgium’s Luca Brecel became the first player from mainland Europe to win the snooker world title as he completed a fairy-tale fortnight by resisting a Mark Selby fightback to win 18-15 at The Crucible on Monday.
The 28-year-old, who had lost in the first round of his previous five appearances at the championships, led 16-10 in the best of 35-frame final but four-time champion Selby rattled off five frames in a row to test Brecel’s nerve.
He proved up to the task though as he rattled off the next two frames to clinch the title.
Brecel enjoyed a 9-8 overnight lead after Sunday’s two sessions, but rattled off the opening four frames on Monday with three centuries to seize command of the final.
Sports Books of the Year: Conor Niland’s The Racket the best in a year dominated by autobiographies
Manchester City approach the surreal as they head for Liverpool
Mark Ella was ‘the fulcrum ... the genius’ of Australia’s trailblazing tour of 1984
Patrick Reed returns to winning ways despite worst warm-up
Trailing 13-8 in the first to 18 final, Selby dug in and took the next two frames but Brecel then compiled another century before snatching the last frame of the afternoon session to take a 15-10 lead into the evening climax.
Displaying no nerves on the biggest night of his career, the cool as a cucumber Brecel returned to the table to move 16-10 ahead but Selby edged two successive scrappy frames, then found his potting rhythm to close to within two.
But Brecel would not be denied his dream and sealed a historic win with yet another century break.
Brecel, who admitted he prepared for the tournament with several late nights out on the town, captured the imagination of the Sheffield crowd with two weeks of stunning potting.
In the quarter-final he caused a major shock when he won the last seven frames to knock out defending champion and seven-times winner Ronnie O’Sullivan.
After that win he said he had celebrated beating another former champion, Mark Williams, in the previous round by getting as “drunk as hell”.
Brecel’s rollercoaster ride continued in the semi-final against China’s Si Jiahui when he pulled off the greatest comeback ever seen at the tournament, winning 12 consecutive frames as he it back from 14-5 behind to win 17-15.
Selby, nicknamed the Jester from Leicester, was expected to end Brecel’s dream run but was always playing catch-up after sliding 5-1 behind against the inspired Belgian.
While Brecel celebrated becoming the most unlikely champion, Selby (39), had the consolation of making the first 147 break ever in the final of the world championship, his maximum coming during a storming fightback on the opening day of the final.
