World Snooker Championship 2023: Luca Brecel leads Mark Williams, Neil Robertson level with Jak Jones

Luca Brecel reeled off five straight frames to lead his World Championship second round match with three-time champion Mark Williams 9-7, while Neil Robertson fought back from a jittery start to end his first session with Jak Jones level at 4-4. Despite his hot streak, Brecel was left to rue a missed opportunity to open up a 10-6 advantage as he broke down on 51 in the final frame of the session, allowing Williams to return and produce one of the clearances of the tournament to stay within touching distance. Ad The pair will play to a finish in the best-of-25 encounter from 19:00 BST with a spot in the quarter-finals on the line.

Brecel has not beaten Williams in five previous meetings. World Championship'He makes the game look so easy' — White ranks top 10 snooker players of all time16/04/2023 AT 19:31 Returning at 4-4, the match started at a frenetic pace as ambitious pot attempts became the norm amid some lax safety play. Brecel married brilliance with the bizarre as he gifted Williams openings to take the first two frames for a 6-4 lead.

“It’s just concentration,” bemoaned 1986 world champion Joe Johnson on Eurosport commentary after Brecel missed a simple shot, moments after lighting up the famous theatre with some excellent potting. But concentrate Brecel belatedly did and the momentum swung in his favour in the 11th frame. The Belgian made a brilliant 113 break, albeit not without occasional scolding from Johnson, as he closed within one.