Luca Brecel knocked out of Crucible Theatre by David Gilbert in deciding frame

Luca Brecel’s reign as Crucible champion has come to an end after a thrilling 10-9 defeat to David Gilbert in the first round of the World Snooker Championship.

The Belgian, who won his first world title in 2023, admitted he had been struggling with a throat infection since March but refused to use it as an excuse for his loss.

“I wanted to go for a run but it wasn’t possible and it has been a bit tough these few weeks,” said Brecel. “Maybe if I was not defending champion I would’ve pulled out, but it’s too big to pull out when you are seeded and defending world champion.”

Despite beating former world champions Mark Williams, Ronnie O’Sullivan, and Mark Selby on his way to victory last year, Brecel expressed relief at no longer holding the title.

“It was a good year, but I look forward to not being a world champion again – I don’t like all the attention,” he said. “I’ve been waiting for the season to end for a few weeks. It’s just a game, why should you be happy if you win and sad if you lose?”

Meanwhile, Gilbert, ranked 31st in the world, showed resilience in the match, coming back from an 8-5 deficit to secure the win.

“It has been a while since I won a game in a proper arena and hopefully I can build on it,” said Gilbert. “Huge respect for Luca, he is brilliant for snooker.”

With Brecel’s elimination, the ‘Crucible Curse’ continues, as no first-time champion has ever retained their title the following year. Despite the disappointment, Brecel remains optimistic about his future in the sport.