Snooker salutes its new entertainer after Luca Brecel fulfils his destiny

02.05.2023 - 19:53 theguardian.com

A s the ticker tape began to stream down over Luca Brecel’s head on Monday evening in Sheffield, it was difficult not to see it as symbolising the changing of the guard for snooker.

The new world champion certainly navigated his road to victory at the Crucible his own way, with a brand of attacking snooker usually only restricted to one man: Brecel’s hero, Ronnie O’Sullivan.

For years, snooker has relied on O’Sullivan to provide the entertainment. Even now as he approaches 50, O’Sullivan remains the undisputed face of the sport.

Inside and outside of the Crucible this year, there were pictures of the seven-time champion of the world everywhere you looked.

Sporting darts mountaineering Neil Robertson Mark Selby Ronnie Osullivan Luca Brecel Australia Sheffield

Michael 'The Hitman' Holt has spent the past 12 months coaching snooker since losing his professional tour card in disappointing fashion a year ago, but has used the enforced time out to learn a few lessons of his own. The former Shoot Out winner will join a 208-player scramble at Q School at Leicester's Morningside Arena next week (May 26-6 June) as he bids to return to the main circuit after failing to regain his tour card for the 2022/23 campaign. Ad Having dropped to 65 in the world following a 6-3 loss to Tom Ford in last year's World Championship qualifiers, Holt could not progress far enough at Pond's Forge in Sheffield at 2022 Q School to prevent his 26-year stay on the tour from coming to an end.

Ronnie O'Sullivan pays tribute to Crucible great after Luca Brecel emulates world snooker title feat – 'A proper player'

Ronnie O'Sullivan idolised fellow icons Steve Davis and Stephen Hendry as a kid during the 1980s, but the snooker GOAT believes Joe Johnson produced arguably the most magical performance of the sport's modern era. Speaking during a run of interviews to promote his new autobiography Unbreakable, O'Sullivan revealed his admiration for the unheralded 150-1 outsider, who completed a stunning 18-12 victory over Davis in the 1986 World Championship final in Sheffield. Ad It was remarkably the stylish Bradford player's only ranking triumph in a 25-year professional career, but Johnson showed his class by returning to the final a year later when Davis held him off for an 18-14 win in the 1987 title match to claim the fourth off his six Crucible trophies.

World Seniors Snooker Championship: Alfie Burden whitewashes Ken Doherty to reach quarter-finals

Alfie Burden produced a high-quality display of potting to claim a 3-0 win over Ken Doherty at the World Seniors Snooker Championship. The culmination of the World Championship, won in spectacular fashion by Luca Brecel on Monday, left the Crucible stage clear for the seniors to take the spotlight. Ad Both Burden and Doherty are still performing to a decent standard on the main tour, and it was the former who looked razor sharp in front of a good crowd in Sheffield.

Defending champion Lee Walker crashes out on opening day of World Seniors Snooker Championship

Lee Walker saw his title defence ended on the first day of the World Seniors Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre in Sheffield. The Welsh professional lifted the trophy with a 5-4 final victory over Jimmy White a year ago, but departed the 2023 event at the last-16 stage in a 3-1 defeat to evergreen Northern Irishman Gerard Greene on Wednesday.

Luca Brecel’s World Championship triumph to spark European snooker boom

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 Brecel holds off Selby to win world title

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).