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.
O’Sullivan exclaimed, “He played unbelievable,” following their Crucible match. I adore watching him play since he is such a talented player. He gets through the ball so nicely with his cue action. It’s amazing. The thud he smacks the ball with, the whip he receives on the white.
“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.
Brecel was eliminated in the opening round of the British Open and was not able to advance past the second round of either the International Championship or the UK Championship.
The talented player from Limburg advanced to the third round of the Scottish Open and battled his way to respectable fourth-round finishes at the English Open and the European Masters. However, it is the best performance of the season for Brecel.
On Monday night, after a tumultuous few months, he was eliminated in the first round of the German Masters by world No. 96 Singh Chadha. All told, when snooker’s main event begins in April, the Belgian will need to find a few more gears if he wants to repeat his world championship win.
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.”
