Brecel becomes mainland Europe's first world snooker champ

Brecel becomes mainland Europe’s first world snooker champ

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Belgium’s Luca Brecel in action against Mark Selby during the final on day seventeen of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England, Monday May 1, 2023. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

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Luca Brecel reacts after beating Mark Selby to win the final on day 17 of the Cazoo World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

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Belgium’s Luca Brecel in action against England’s Mark Selby during the final on day seventeen of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England, Monday May 1, 2023. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

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England’s Mark Selby, left, in action against Belgium’s Luca Brecel during the final on day seventeen of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England, Monday May 1, 2023. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

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England’s Mark Selby in action against Belgium’s Luca Brecel during the final on day seventeen of the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, England, Monday May 1, 2023. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

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Luca Brecel celebrates with the trophy after beating Mark Selby to win the final on day 17 of the Cazoo World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield, England, on Monday, May 1, 2023. (Zac Goodwin/PA via AP)

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Luca Brecel of Belgium became snooker’s first world champion from mainland Europe after beating four-time winner Mark Selby 18-15 in the final on Monday.

Brecel hadn’t won a match at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield in five previous visits to the home of snooker.

Yet this year, he beat three multiple world champions — Mark Williams, Ronnie O’Sullivan and Selby — with a fearless brand of attacking snooker on the way to ending the stranglehold of mostly British players on the sport’s biggest stage.

In the modern era, only two players from outside Britain and Ireland — Canada’s Cliff Thorburn in 1980 and Australia’s Neil Robertson in 2010 — have been world champion. The only other overseas world champion was Australia’s Horace Lindrum in 1952.

“I just wanted it to happen,” Brecel said, “for Belgium, for Europe, and for snooker in general.”

Brecel compiled a break of 112 to complete the victory over Selby, who won five straight frames from 16-10 down to turn the last of the final’s four sessions into a tense affair.

In the semifinals, Brecel produced a record-breaking comeback from 14-5 down to get past 20-year-old Chinese player Si Jiahui. No player had ever come from more than eight frames back to win a match at the Crucible.

“This year I came here just wanting to win one game,” Brecel said. “Now I’ve won the championship.”

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