September 25th 2024.
Luca Brecel has been through a rough patch lately, both on and off the snooker table. However, he's finally starting to feel like things are turning around for him. After a disappointing season following his impressive victory at the 2023 World Championship, the Belgian Bullet suffered a first round defeat in his title defense against Dave Gilbert. It was a tough blow for a player with such immense talent. But, it seems that Luca has found his stride again and is feeling confident about his chances of lifting more trophies.
Last week, at the English Open, Luca managed to secure his first match win since March, breaking a remarkable dry spell. This season, he had a poor start and his victory over Anthony Hamilton was a much-needed boost. Now, he's in the third round at the British Open in Cheltenham and has already beaten both Mohammed Shehab and Tian Pengfei. Luca's performance has been encouraging, and he believes that his hard work off the table has paid off, as his game is in great shape.
"I'm playing the best I ever have in practice," Luca shared after his 4-2 win against Tian on Tuesday night. "And in matches, I can see progress. Everything is sharp, and I feel really good. This season, I'm more excited than ever. Of course, there are still a few things I can improve upon, and I'm not used to winning multiple games in a row. But I have the confidence that I'm playing well enough to win this tournament. I've also lost around ten kilos and am feeling fit off the table. Cycling has been a great addition to my routine. Not only do I love being outdoors, but it's also been great for my body and mind."
Luca used to pay close attention to rankings, but he's no longer concerned with his current standing. "I don't even know where I am on the rankings," he admitted. "But, it doesn't matter because I know that with the way I'm playing, I'll never be too low. People can get caught up in rankings, but look at Neil Robertson. Did anyone really believe he wouldn't make a comeback? If you're a good player, you'll always be a good player."
Another player who isn't worried about rankings is world number one Judd Trump. He's also made it to the third round in Cheltenham, after defeating both Rob Milkins and Ryan Day. Judd even managed to knock in his 999th century against Milkins, but wasn't able to make it to 1000 in his 4-2 win against Day. However, Judd is happy to save his 1000th century for a bigger game. "I don't even think about it when I'm playing," he said about reaching the milestone. "In all the frames, I didn't have a great chance. The balls were difficult to work with, and the game didn't flow smoothly. But, I'm not too disappointed. I'd rather save it for a later, more important match."
One of the more surprising names to make it to the third round is Ukrainian amateur Iulian Boiko. The 19-year-old managed to beat world number 13 Si Jiahui 4-1 on Tuesday. "This is my biggest win on the pro tour because I really respect Si," Iulian shared. "I'm thrilled with the result. I've been playing in a few tournaments recently, so I feel sharp. My schedule is busy because I can play in both amateur and pro events. But, I much prefer the pro tour. The atmosphere and venues are fantastic, and I always bring my best game."
The third round schedule for the British Open is as follows:
Wednesday 25 September
10am
Hossein Vafaei vs Zhang Anda
Allan Taylor vs Lyu Haotian
Anton Kazakov vs Liam Davies
Cheung Ka Wai vs Oliver Lines
1pm
Dave Gilbert vs Ben Woollaston
Sunny Akani vs Antoni Kowalski
Rory Thor vs Mark Joyce
Kyren Wilson vs Duane Jones
Following
Hammad Miah vs Ben Mertens
David Grace vs Lewis Ullah
Ricky Walden vs Jamie Clarke
John Higgins vs Shaun Murphy
7pm
Yuan Sijun vs Mark Selby
Jak Jones vs Iulian Boiko
Vafaei/Zhang vs Stan Moody
Haris Tahir vs Taylor/Lyu
Following
Neil Robertson vs Thor/Joyce
Stuart Bingham vs Stephen Maguire
Gilbert/Woollaston vs Ashley Carty
Elliot Slessor vs Xu Si
Thursday 26 September
1pm
Murphy/Higgins vs Graeme Dott
Mark Davis vs Judd Trump
Walden/Clarke vs Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Cheung/Lines vs Akani/Kowalski
Following
Fu vs Wilson/Jones
Miah/Mertens vs Allen
Kazakov/Davies vs Brecel
Grace/Ullah vs Wakelin
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