Mark Williams Mark Selby Ronnie Osullivan Luca Brecel Belgium state Indiana county Williams rowing win Mark Williams Mark Selby Ronnie Osullivan Luca Brecel Belgium state Indiana county Williams

Snooker-Belgium's Brecel holds off Selby to win world title

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:Belgium's Luca Brecel became the first player from mainland Europe to win the snooker world title as he completed a fairytale fortnight by resisting a Mark Selby fightback to win 18-15 at The Crucible on Sunday.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 Saturday's two sessions, but rattled off the opening four frames on Sunday with three centuries to seize command of the final.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

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Luca Brecel withstood a stirring fightback from Mark Selby to clinch a dramatic 18-15 victory and become the first player from mainland Europe to win the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible. Having clawed back outlandish deficits to sink both Ronnie O'Sullivan and Si Jiahui in the previous rounds, the brilliant 28-year-old switched roles to fend off a late surge by the four-time champion.
LONDON: Belgium’s Luca Brecel said European snooker would “explode” after he became the first player from the continental mainland to be crowned world champion.
Belgium's Luca Brecel became the first player from mainland Europe to win the snooker world title as he completed a fairytale fortnight by resisting a Mark Selby fightback to triumph 18-15 at The Crucible on Sunday (May 1).
It may have taken him nine years more than he originally planned, but Luca Brecel’s childhood prophecy has finally been fulfilled. Before he had even stepped through the doors of a Crucible Theatre as a highly-rated 17-year-old, becoming the youngest player in the tournament’s history, the Belgian had already predicted he would become world champion by the age of 19.
Luca Brecel withstood a stirring fightback from Mark Selby to clinch a dramatic 18-15 victory and become the first player from mainland Europe to win the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible.

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