Mith another impressive comeback, Belgian Luca Brecel made history by reaching the final of the World Snooker Championships in Sheffield. Against the Chinese World Cup debutant Si Jiahui (20), the tenth in the world rankings prevailed in the semi-finals with 17:15 and made it into the final in the venerable Crucible Theater – as the first continental European ever. Opponent on Sunday and Monday will be four-time world champion Mark Selby (England).
Brecel, who in the meantime was 5:14 behind, secured eleven frames in a row in his gripping race to catch up. Nothing new for the 28-year-old: Already in the quarter-finals, the Belgian had celebrated a comeback victory against the defending champion and snooker icon Ronnie O’Sullivan (13:10) and seized the last seven frames.
Selby then also defeated world number three Mark Allen (Northern Ireland) with 17:15 and can now win his fifth title after 2014, 2016, 2017 and 2021.