Watch extraordinary moment Brecel quits mid-match at Xi’an Grand Prix
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Luca Brecel became Belgium’s first world champion only two years ago, but his fall from snooker’s summit has been as remarkable as the rapid rate at which he tends to pot balls.The man dubbed ‘The Belgian Bullet’ has dropped from a career high of world No. 2 achieved after his momentous 18-15 win over Mark Selby in the Crucible final in May 2023 to 40th in the rankings. Brecel lost 10-5 to fellow future world champion Zhao Xintong in the 2021 UK Championship final, but will take no further part in this year’s competition after suffering a shock 6-3 exit to world No. 106 Ian Burns in the third qualifying round on Monday.
He is provisionally 44th in the end-of-season standings, but is a lowly 85th on the one-year list with earnings of only £16,800, meaning he is likely to miss out on appearances in the World Grand Prix, Players Championship and the Tour Championship later in the season.
As it stands, he will have to win at least two qualifiers in Sheffield to reach the last 32 at the Crucible, the scene of his greatest triumph in the sport, but one which also feels like a world away.
For a man who has produced 228 centuries since turning professional in 2011, the fact that he has, rather astonishingly, yet to make a century this season perhaps illustrates best his ongoing struggles to recapture his levels of breathtaking magic.
Brecel dazzles with ‘exhibition snooker’ break against Ding
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After a heavenly rise to the summit of the sport with some breathtaking performances – he remains the youngest Crucible debutant in history at the age of 17 – his 2025 run could be best described as a season from hell.
Brecel did enjoy a run to the quarter-finals of the English Open in Brentwood in September, losing 5-4 to Zhou Yuelong, a rare moment of sunshine in a season blighted by a lack of consistency and some bizarre moments.
He failed to appear for his Wuhan Open qualifier with Haris Tahir in June and opted out of the British Open qualifiers before skipping the Saudi Arabia Masters in Jeddah, where he was due to meet Sanderson Lam in round three in August.Brecel then opted to quit his best-of-nine frame qualifier at the Xi’an Grand Prix early in September, trailing world No. 71 Sunny Akani 2-0 and 40-1 in the third frame, citing issues with his cue as the reason behind the walkout.Brecel century breaks 2018-2019272019-2020292020-2021122021-2022232022-2023252023-2024182024-2025122025-20260And the former Scottish Open champion suffered another early season setback at the International Championship qualifiers as he lost 6-4 to world No. 123 Liu Wenwei in the first round. After failing to turn up for a Scottish Open qualifier in Wigan against Steven Hallworth in October, he then lost 4-1 to Stephen Maguire in his opening match in Belfast at the Northern Ireland Open.
It was his last competitive appearance before his defeat to Burns on Monday saw him produce a highest break of 80 to level at 3-3 before shipping the final three frames.
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Amid the erratic lack of consistency, it should also be noted that 30-year-old Brecel has battled health concerns, revealing to newspaper reporters that he had sought medical help from doctors regarding issues with fatigue.
“Some people have come up to me and said ‘oh, is it mental health’ and they have tried to help,” he said.
“It’s not my head. I’m perfectly happy. I’m fine. It’s not mental. It’s physical things in my body. Strange. I’ve been to the doctor many, many times. Maybe 18 times in three to four months.”
Brecel is due to return to action for his final competitive outing of the year at the Snooker Shoot Out in Blackpool when he takes on Long Zehuang on Wednesday, December 10.
Qualifying for the 49th UK Championship takes place between November 22-27 in Wigan before the main event is staged at the Barbican in York from November 29 to December 7, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.
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Watch and stream the 2025/26 snooker season, including the UK Championship, live on TNT Sports and discovery+
