Ronnie O'Sullivan will have to wait at least another year to win a record-breaking eighth world title as he was spectacularly beating by Luca Brecel in the quarter-finals.
Brecel had trailed the Englishman 10-6 heading into this afternoon's final session with most expecting 'The Rocket' to lift-off and dispatch the Belgian with ease. Instead he produced 7 frames of absolute excellence that left O'Sullivan stunned and heading home.
Brecel hadn't even won a match at the Crucible Theatre before this year and beat Ricky Walden in R1. He then followed it up with a surprise victory over three-times World Champion Mark Williams to seal an unlikely quarter-final spot. Few gave him any hope of ending O'Sullivan's reign as champion.
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Defeat means that The Rocket will have to wait until at least 2024 to win an eighth world crown. Speaking to the BBC afterwards O'Sullivan said, "he played unbelievable. He's such a good player, I love watching him play,
"He's probably the most talented snooker player I've ever seen. I'd love to see him win in, just for snooker because that's how it should be played'.
In post-match comments Brecel revealed his unorthodox preparation for the big matches, "Before the tournament I was out partying, staying up late to 6 or 7am, playing Fifa with my friends, not practising, and even after I beat Mark Williams [in the second round] I got home at 7am by car, and then we went out again until 5 or 6 in the morning, drunk as hell. The next day, I had to drive back up again so it’s a totally different preparation, and it’s working."
The Belgian Bullet will face either Anthony McGill or Si Jiahui in the semi-finals. They are tied at 8-8 and play to a finish later this evening.
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