Luca Bressel fell victim to the so-called ‘Crucible Curse’ on the opening day of the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield as qualifier David Gilbert beat defending champion 10-9 in the last four frames champion.
The Belgian became the 19th champion to fail in his first defense at the famous venue, with Gilbert, who reached the semi-finals in 2019, leveling the score with three consecutive half-centuries before a gutless 65, which was enough Secure the prestigious title.
When Bressel needed just a snooker to shake hands, it marked a shocking end to his kamikaze title reign, during which the 29-year-old turned his attention firmly to what’s ahead of him off the table A high-value acquisition while he’s still working toward a solo ranking. It completes a stunning resurgence for Gilbert – who has won just one Crucible match in four years since reaching the final four, during which time he has often found himself questioning his ability to move on. power.
“It’s been a while since I won a game in a proper arena, so hopefully I can build on that,” Gilbert said. “Even when I was down 8-5, I still carried [my friend] Andy Lee and he must dodge some apples, bananas and cookies flying around the room. I was angry, I was down 8-5 and I felt like I should be ahead, but I did say to him that I was getting my chance and if I found my rhythm I could still win.
A missed green as Bressel closed in on a 9-8 victory proved to be one of many defining moments, with the defending champion combining a stunning hitting performance with wild shot selection and careless mistakes. Constantly preventing him from making decisive moves.
The Belgian hit two hundreds in the opening game and two other 70-plus breaks as he finished with a 6-3 victory that seemed to allay fears that he would not be available on his return to Sheffield Be prepared, there is no way to avoid the fate of so many former champions.
A break of 115 helped Gilbert seize the opponent’s opportunity, but he failed to seize a series of opportunities early in the game’s resumption. Bressel advanced to the last 16 with a score of 9-6, and then Gilbert called his dramatic turn.
Bressel refused to blame his defeat on the effects of a mysterious virus, saying he was “relieved” that his high-profile year as champion was over.
“It’s been a good year and now I can look forward to being a non-world champion again,” Bressel said. “I’ve wanted this season to be over for a long time, so I’m relieved. I don’t like the attention I get when everyone says, ‘Oh, it’s the world championship.’ It’s not my business.
“I’ve been sick since Saudi Arabia [in early March] Maybe if I wasn’t the defending champion I would have quit. But I won’t use that as an excuse. Dave is a great player and he probably should have won before and I really hope he continues to win.
Earlier, Judd Trump used his luck to lead Hossein Vafaei 6-3 overnight. Third-seeded Trump looked sharp and focused in dangerous Iran qualifiers, but Wafaei lamented a series of missed opportunities. They will resume Sunday afternoon.
Wafai could have easily led the 2019 champions 4-0 going into half-time, but instead Trump kept his nerve to take a 3-1 advantage and it never looked like he would Give up that advantage.
Stephen Maguire hit two centuries but could not shake off ninth seed Ali Carter, who led 5-4 on Sunday. The two-time semifinalist got off to a strong start with scores of 93 and 114, but showed frustration as untimely errors distracted him for the remainder of the match until a tense 55-point ninth inning. He is able to stay in touch with his opponents.
No. 11 seed Zhang Anda trailed qualifier Jack Jones 5-2 in the first quarter. The game was of low quality and was dragged out of two games early due to slow play.
