Sporting Life
Luca Brecel into the last 16
Luca Brecel into the last 16

Luca Brecel into last 16 at the Crucible after beating Ryan Day 10-7

By Sporting Life
Snooker
Fri April 25, 2025 · 1M ago

2023 champion Luca Brecel produced a mixed bag in his first-round tie with Ryan Day, but still had enough in the tank to win 10-7.

Brecel rallied to finish the first session only 5-4 behind, but though winning six of the eight frames played on Thursday, he did it without making a single break of fifty-plus.

Day was rightly frustrated having missed a series of opportunities to force a different result, firstly on Wednesday and then again throughout the second session.

"I had more than enough chances, but that’s just the way things are for me nowadays,” Day told the BBC afterwards. "I’m 45 now and the older I’ve got, I’m finding it harder to keep my composure."

Disappointment for Ryan Day

As for Brecel, he finally had something to cheer about following a lean time of things since his Crucible triumph two years ago.

He told World Snooker Tour: "The way I play is unique, I guess it's not boring! I was 5-1 down, but I hadn't had many chances at that stage. I never panicked because I have made so many comebacks here.

"From 5-3 down I felt I couldn't lose. No disrespect to Ryan because we all know what he is capable of, but I felt so relaxed and I could see he was nervous.

"The way I play, everything needs to work. I'm too lazy to change that. So if it doesn't work, I will go home. Since the Welsh Open I have practised every day for two months.

"I had a new tip which I am not used to, and that was a problem in the first session. I need more time with it. In the balls I'm ok, but on long pots I am just guessing."

Fluke of the tournament?

What about this from Brecel in frame 12? The Belgian Bullet was the beneficiary of two outrageous flukes, on the yellow and then the brown.

, Brecel hadn’t won a single match at the Crucible before winning five on the way to landing the title in 2023.

That run all started with a nervy 10-9 win over Ricky Walden.

Who’s to say this comeback win, with the aid of more than a slice of luck, doesn’t prove the catalyst for another Brecel title charge.

Selby crashes out

Mark Selby was another big name to crash out at the first-round stage, losing 10-8 to Ben Woollaston.

It was a first Crucible win for Woollaston at the end of a gruelling encounter in which Selby in particular struggled badly.

A delighted Woollaston told World Snooker Tour: "Without a doubt it's my best ever win. I beat Mark Williams to reach the final of the Welsh Open in 2015 in front of a big crowd, but this is far bigger.

"Mark didn't play his best, but that doesn't matter to me. He is still really difficult to beat, especially here.

"I did a lot of things well, I made a few mistakes, but that was bound to happen.

"Mark is the best there has ever been tactically, but I stayed tough in the safety battles and that won me the match."

Selby labelled his own performance as 'pathetic' having only managed one break above 50 all night.

He said: "I was pathetic from start to finish. I didn't show up and didn't deserve to win. I didn't score well enough when I got chances.

"Ben's safety was unbelievable at times and had me in trouble. I love him to bits. I grew up with him and have seen him progress."

Allen in trouble against Wakelin

On the other table, Chris Wakelin is on the verge of pulling off another big shock, leading Mark Allen 6-2 after the first session of their second-round tie.

Wakelin knocked Neil Robertson out on Sunday, and put together four breaks of fifty-plus to take the ascendancy as he seeks to reach a Crucible quarter-final for the first time.

John Higgins and Xiao Guodong finished the opening session of their second-round match locked together at 4-4.

Related snooker links