© WST
Snooker
Yushan –
Luca Brecel booked his ticket to the last 32 at the World Open on Tuesday. Despite the clear figures (5-2), the Englishman Oliver Brown did not give up without a fight. Brecel will meet Stephen Maguire in the third round on Wednesday.
A nice loose belt pot, followed by a 58 break, seemed to give the world champion a flying start. But Brown proved in the next hour that world number 95 can also play a nice game of snooker. He stole the first frame 62-64 after a nice 51 clearance, and even doubled his lead after a nice move to the middle: 0-2.
Brecel, who was once again hitting the white ball well, looked surprised and even seemed to get frustrated for a moment. His opponent had the first chance again, but missed a difficult black ball at 45. Brecel closed the gap and relievedly put his first frame on the board, after Brown was unable to successfully complete a difficult pot on green (1-2).
The spell was broken, Brecel equalized with a 66 break, but again fell behind 0-44 in the first frame after the break. However, a 65 break turned the match definitively. 3-2 became 4-2 and a delicious icing on the cake (80) concluded an exciting confrontation: 5-2.
Old acquaintance Maguire
On Wednesday, Luca Brecel will meet Stephen Maguire in the sixteenth finals, who defeated home player Pang Junxu (WR 29). Six-time ranking tournament winner Maguire, once number two in the world, has now fallen to 31st place. He was Brecel’s first ever opponent at the Crucible in 2012 (5-10), Brecel won their last two head-to-head confrontations at the UK Championship in 2021 and 2016 .(mg)