It was almost impossible to imagine how Luca Brecel’s brand of thrill-seeking snooker could be overshadowed by the end of the opening day of this wild World Championship final, but Mark Selby managed it. Selby came to the table 9-6 down, eyeing a simple red; 10 minutes later he was walking towards the last black with a grin in the direction of his wife and daughter sitting up in the gods; they were watching a break from the gods, and once he completed the 147, the tension in the room melted away.
The crowd howled in appreciation as Brecel embraced his opponent with a big hug. The referee, Brendan Moore, took off one of his white gloves and shook Selby by the hand – this will be Moore’s last ever match and it is some occasion to go out on, overseeing the first ever maximum break in a Crucible final. Selby enjoyed the moment, throwing up his arms to raise the crowd’s volume like a rock star on stage.
