On November 26, 2023, Brecel is seeking a powerful influence in New York.
World Champion Luca Brecel is set to recapture his winning feeling at the MrQ UK Championship in York, having made a strong start to his campaign with a 6-4 win over China’s Yuan Sijun. Brecel, who achieved his maiden Crucible crown in May, has since celebrated by traveling the globe and investing in new cars, including a Ferrari and Porsche. His main highlight since becoming World Champion has been a run to the Shanghai Masters final, where he was beaten 11-9 by Ronnie O’Sullivan.
Yuan Sijun will be disappointed at this afternoon’s exit but can take solace from two victories in qualifying. The 23-year-old beat Alexander Ursenbacher 6-5 and a 6-3 defeat of 1997 World Champion Ken Doherty sealed qualification and his best ever UK Championship performance. Brecel said that 80% of his goal is to perform well and play well as a World Champion, while 20% is due to being tired of hearing people say he is lazy.
Brecel believes that if he can cut out the little mistakes, he could be dangerous and get that World Championship vibe back. He wants to show more of the way Luca really is and try to get back into the winner’s circle. If he plays well in the next game and wins, he is in the quarter-finals and it could potentially kick start his season.
Brecel also bought two other cars this week, going from a millionaire to a non-millionaire, which means he has the money in his hands for the bad days that come. He believes that the cars won’t depreciate a lot and that he is determined to continue his success in Sheffield.
Zhang Anda, the crowned International Champion, won a marathon match against Elliot Slessor 6-5, setting up a last 16 showdown with Brecel. After a four-hour and 38-minute match, Zhang fought back from a 5-4 down with a nerveless run of 70, making a 46-second break in the decider.
