Brecel Fights Back To Beat Day At World Championship

Former world champion Luca Brecel fought backmost from 5-1 down to hit Ryan Day 10-7 and move into nan past 16 of nan 2025 World Championship astatine nan Crucible successful Sheffield.

Belgium's Brecel had won nan past 3 frames of Wednesday's first convention to way 5-4, only for Welshman Day, classed 36th successful nan world, to make a break of 101 successful nan opening framework connected Thursday to move 6-4 ahead.

But 2023 world champion Brecel took six of nan adjacent 7 frames successful a scrappy brushwood pinch some players making unexpected errors.

One of those mistakes from Day proved important erstwhile he potted nan cue shot erstwhile connected nan achromatic to manus Brecel nan 16th frame.

Brecel will look 10th seed Ding Junhui successful nan adjacent round, pinch nan lucifer starting connected Saturday day earlier nan 2nd convention connected Sunday and nan conclusion connected Monday.

Before his occurrence 2 years agone Brecel had not won a lucifer astatine nan Crucible, but an epic tally saw him conclusion Ricky Walden, Mark Williams, Ronnie O'Sullivan, Si Jiahui and Mark Selby 18-15 successful nan last to go nan first world champion from mainland Europe.

But nan 'Crucible Curse', which has not seen a first-time victor repetition their occurrence nan pursuing year, struck again successful 2024 pinch Brecel suffering a first-day opening-round nonaccomplishment to David Gilbert.