World Snooker Championship LIVE: Score and result as Luca Brecel holds back Mark Selby to win maiden title

Luca Brecel endured a stirring fightback from Mark Selby to clinch a significant 18-15 success and end up being the very first gamer from mainland Europe to win the World Snooker Championship at the Crucible.

Five previous sees to the well-known place had actually yielded no success for Brecel however, having actually clawed back over-the-top deficits to sink both Ronnie O’Sullivan and Si Jiahui in the previous rounds, he changed functions to ward off a late rise by the four-time champ.

Snooker – and Belgium – have a brand-new star after the 28-year-old beat Mark Selby in the World Championship last, composes Lawrence Ostlere at the Crucible:

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Watch the winning minute as Brecel declares his first world title:

So there you have it – another World Championships in the books and what a competition it has actually been. Two 147s, play-stopping demonstrations, the increase of Si Jiahui and at the end of everything, the victory of the mercurial Luca Brecel.

He wins a fascinating last versus Mark Selby – loaded with weaves, quality strokemaking and drama that had all of us on the edge of our seats.

It was nervy at points because night session however you can’t reject that Brecel should have that. His play the other day and his excellent efficiency this afternoon laid the structures for a historical world title.

Mainland Europe has their very first world champ and snooker has a brand-new star.

“It’s amazing, I can’t see any more, I don’t know why.

“[It was] so tough, he’s the worst opponent to have in a final, he just keeps coming back, he’s such a fighter, when it was 16-15 I didn’t fancy winning at all, I was missing balls by a mile but then I made a good break.

“Snooker is a difficult sport, in the first round I could have lost to Ricky Walden but I won 10-9. If I’d have lost that game everyone would be saying ‘oh he’s lost again’ and now I’m the winner so it’s small margins in snooker, it’s crazy.

“I really have the best team, best friends, best parents and best girlfriend in the world which makes me strong on the table, if you don’t have that team it’s difficult to play the best game.

“I won’t practice for a couple of weeks or months, just going to enjoy this. It’s been a crazy week – no practice just partying – it shouldn’t be legal!”

On snooker in Belgium: “It’s going to explode, I was so nervous because I just wanted it to happen for Belgium and Europe and now I can’t wait to see what it brings to the world – I’m so happy, I don’t know how I did it.”

“Congratulations to Luca, he’s a great talent and a great lad, a great family. Enjoy the year, you deserve it mate, you played fantastic.

On his 147 maximum break yesterday: “It was great to make a 147 at the Crucible, it was something I always wanted to do. I never thought I would do it in a final, the atmosphere was amazing last night was amazing and something I will remember for rest of my life.

“But it’s not about me today, Luca played fantastic.

“Every time he got a chance, he looked like he was going to win the frame in one visit. It was tough – I battled to get back to 16-15, had a smelly were I was pushing into the red. If I potted that, I would have felt comfortable and if I got back to 16-16 then it could have been a different story.”

Brecel has plenty of feeling as his achievement sets in. What an achievment and what a victory. He hadn’t won at The Crucible prior to this year and now his name is being engraved into the history books.

There were minutes in this last session when it appeared like it was all going to decipher for the swashbuckling Belgian however he has actually reacted absolutely.

A wonderful 112 break ends as he misses on the yellow however it matters not since he has actually done it…Luca Brecel wins the frame and he is the champ of the world!

A couple more reds and blacks down and the lead extends to 55. 91 points staying on the table.