May 1, 2023. Belgian Luca Brecel lift snooker’s coveted trophy in the sport’s holiest arena, Sheffield’s Crucible Theatre. The moment is historic, as Brecel has just been crowned the first continental European world champion in the British-dominated form of billiards.
Cut to November 25th in 2024. Brecel shakes the Welshman’s hand Jack Joneswho has eliminated the Belgian from the continuation set 6–5 in the opening round of the main series of the UK Championship tournament.
It’s not just any loss, but it could have massive consequences for Brecel.
A sharp drop
– As a snooker player, I cannot understand what he is doing.
The second most successful snooker star of all time Stephen Hendry didn’t hold his candle when talking about Brecel british media in the interview.
The Scottish legend referred to Brecel’s lifestyle with his statement. The Belgian has openly said that he invests in fitness and in the future wants to compete, for example, in the classic triathlon event Ironman.
In October, Brecel practiced running and cycling in Majorca, Spain, from where he flew to Belfast in the evening to play his Northern Ireland Open 1st round match.
Brecel beat his young Chinese opponent, but was eliminated in the next round.
Ranking of players in snooker on the world list based on the prize money they earned in ranking tournaments over a two-year period.
Although Brecel is still seventh on the list, his results have been miserable over the past year and a half.
In that period, 26 ranking competitions have been organized on the professional tour. In them, Brecel has advanced to the quarterfinals only once. There have been seven races in which he has not made it through the qualifiers to the main series.
Brecel has withdrawn from two tournaments at the last minute and announced in advance that he will miss four races.
Monday’s loss in the UK Championship was the third in a row in the opening round, when considering the three biggest ranking tournaments in terms of prize pool.
Brecel is ranked 89th among 128 players in this season’s prize money. If Brecel does not return to winning ways in the following tournaments, he is threatened with losing his professional right at the end of the season.
In order for this not to happen, Brecel must be among the top 64 players on the two-year list at the end of the season. When the successes of spring 2023 are erased until the World Cup victory, Brecel is ranked 61st in the predictive world list.
The only snooker player in Finland who defeated Brecel in the 2016 Shootout final Robin Hull is not surprised by the Belgian star’s difficulties.
– Work ethic and mental side. There are two crucial things for a snooker player. If even one of these precipitates, it’s difficult. And Brecel has admitted that the work ethic in his case is variable, Hull says.
– I emphasize that I don’t know Brecel’s situation in more detail, but based on what I’ve read and heard and my professional experience, I can say that this game does not allow half-powerful operations.
Challenges in civilian life
Brecel has been in the headlines for other things than his Ironman craze.
In Finland, he received negative attention by making a last-minute win in two snooker games at the screening event.
Internationally, the news threshold has been crossed by Brecel’s girlfriend Laura Vanoverberghen arrest in September 2023. Belgian and Dutch police suspect Vanoverberghe of involvement in a cocaine ring. He faces a prison sentence.
According to publicly available information, the suspected events date back to before Brecel and Vanoverberghe were dating.
Hull considers Brecel’s situation unfortunate, but does not pat the world champion on the head.
– He is a fantastic player and a big plus for the game, but nothing comes for free. In his case, there is no need to wonder why there is no result. He has cooked this sopa himself.
However, Hull does not believe that Brecel will have to be stripped of his professional right at the end of the season in the Q School qualifying tournaments for amateurs.
– With top players, the saying often comes true that they come up with emergency solutions. It’s stupid to have to wait this long. If Brecel continues with the same mentality, then the qualifiers await, but if he knows how to wake up, with that talent he shouldn’t fall off the tour.
A career in cycles
At the age of 29, Brecel is a professional player who was known for his fluctuating grips even before the World Cup title he won in 2023.
An internationally recognized snooker coach Stephen Feeney believes, like Hull, that Brecel will not have to be eliminated from his place on the main tour.
– I know his father Carlo’s. When I asked him about Luca, he said things are fine with Luca now, says Feeney.
Feeney believes Brecel’s choice to temporarily emphasize fitness at the expense of snooker will set the Belgian up for future success in his sport.
– He lives his life as he wants. His career has gone through cycles of a few years, which have included the drops we see now. They have been followed by brilliant performances. He’s too good a player to drop off the tour, Feeney says.
Brecel will not participate in the Shootout competing after the UK Championship. This year, the players have the opportunity to increase their ranking gains even before Christmas in the Scottish Open.
Next year, Brecel will have the right to participate in at least the German Masters, the Welsh Open and the competition to be played in China before the World Championships in April. Even before the World Cup tournament, a series of three big races will be played, where in order to get there, Brecel would have to collect a lot of prize money from the aforementioned races.
Falling would be unique
So far in the history of professional snooker, no world champion has been eliminated from the tour when he was under 40 years old – especially if the elimination happened in the fastest possible time frame, i.e. two years after the championship.
– That would be absolutely crazy, says Hull.
If Brecel’s previous words are to be believed, the loss in the UK Championship did not faze him.
– I’m not afraid of losing my professional rights. I prefer to see getting into Q School as a challenge. I would like to play for Q School one day. Maybe it will come true at the end of this season. Of course I would like to stay on the tour, so I will do my best,” Brecel told the BBC in October.
Hull has a clear view of Brecel’s statements.
– Trash talk.