Jan 7, 2024 at 9:25 PM Update: an hour ago
World snooker champion Luca Brecel suffered a new setback on Sunday. The Belgian was eliminated in the opening round of The Masters and even fears for his tour card with this game.
The 28-year-old Brecel lost 2-6 to Englishman Jack Lisowski, number sixteen in the world, in Alexandra Palace in London, where the final of the World Darts Championship took place last Wednesday.
“Yes, terrible,” Brecel was disappointed. “If I keep playing like this, I’ll be dropped from the tour after this season. Of course I can do better and I know I will, but right now it’s just not good enough.”
“Jack is a great player and I’m happy for him. I just didn’t feel good at all. It was a terrible match.”
Last year, Luca Brecel became the first Belgian to become world snooker champion. Photo: Getty Images
‘I need a maximum break’
Brecel was surprisingly crowned world snooker champion last year, but his performance has been very inconsistent in recent months. For example, last month he lost to Martin O’Donnell (world number 77) at the Scottish Open and in November he was no match for Mark Davis (world number 60) at the International Championship.
“I just need a maximum break or something,” said Brecel. “It will come back. I’ve been through this before, just like the rest of us. Even Neil Robertson is struggling and he’s one of the best players ever. If he’s struggling, anyone can struggle. I’ll be back, I just don’t know when.”
The Masters is the highest ranked tournament on the calendar after the World Cup. The top sixteen in the world participate in the tournament in London. Last year, Judd Trump captured the title.
Beeld: Getty Images
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2024-01-07 20:25:22
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