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Luca Brecel (WS-15) was unable to qualify for the final of the Tour Championship on Saturday in Llandudno, Wales. In his semi-final, the 27-year-old Limburger had to lose 10-7 to 46-year-old Scot John Higgins (WS-6).
Vincent Van GenechtenSource: BELGIAN
Brecel won the first three frames of the match with breaks of 65, 105 and 78, but nevertheless ended the afternoon session trailing 5-3. In the evening session, “The Wizard of Wishaw” also won a sixth game in a row, before Brecel fought back from 6-3 and 7-4 to 7-7 with breaks of 55, 69, 68 and 108.
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Four-time world champion Higgins showed himself tactically the strongest in the final frames and eventually had enough breaks of 54, 52, 108, 50, 52 and 67 for a 10-7 win. He thus took revenge for the final of the Scottish Open. In December he had to give up on Brecel with 9-5 in front of his own audience.
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On Sunday, Higgins will face Australian defending champion Neil Robertson (WS-4) in the final, again a best of 19. He already eliminated Ronnie O’Sullivan (WS-2) on Friday with 10-9. It will be the 55th ranking final for Higgins. So far he has won 31 of them. Only O’Sullivan (38) and Stephen Hendry (36) do better. Robertson is going for a 23rd ranking title, after the English Open and the Players Championship the third this season. Higgins played three finals this season, but won none of them. In the English Open, Robertson kept him from the title 9-8.
The winner of the tournament will receive 150,000 pounds (178,000 euros) on Sunday, the runner-up 60,000 (71,000 euros). Robertson moves to third place on the Order of Merit with a tournament win over Judd Trump, Higgins remains the number six anyway. O’Sullivan replaces reigning world champion Mark Selby as number one. Brecel climbs to eleventh place, equaling his highest ranking.
