New Crucible Curse threatens Luca Brecel dream as odd Ding Junhui stat involving Ronnie O'Sullivan haunts World Snooker Championship 2025

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A new 'Crucible Curse' could be set to haunt Luca Brecel as he bids to claim a second world title in the past three years in Sheffield. Brecel became the latest maiden world champion to fail to successfully defend the sport's biggest prize when the 2023 winner lost 10-9 to David Gilbert in the first round a year ago, but the fresh hex involves Brecel, Ding Junhui, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump.

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Luca Brecel fell victim to the infamous 'Crucible Curse' when he became the latest first-time world champion to fail to defend the sport's most coveted title last year, but another green baize jinx threatens to haunt The Belgian Bullet this year.

The new curse stalking the 49th World Championship involves 2016 finalist Ding Junhui and every opponent he has faced over the 2024/25 snooker season.

Apart from his title run at the International Championship in November, when he lifted the trophy with a 10-7 win over Chris Wakelin in Nanjing, every unfortunate rival to defeat the Chinese player has faced an instant demise in the next round.

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Brecel himself has already been part of the oddly ongoing 10-month sequence of results.

After edging Ding 4-3 in the last 16 of the Scottish Open in Edinburgh in December, Brecel lost 5-1 to Xiao Guodong in the quarter-finals of the Home Nations ranking event.

It has been a recurring theme. With Ding out of an event, his opponents have suffered defeat in the next round, including Ronnie O'Sullivan, Judd Trump, Mark Selby, Mark Williams and Shaun Murphy.

Even Ross Muir did not break the spell after Ding withdrew from their last-64 meeting at the German Masters in January, with the Scot going out 5-2 to Yuan Sijun in the next round.

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Which perhaps does not bode well for in-form Brecel, who is carrying an unassailable 12-4 lead over Ding into the final session of their last-16 meeting on Monday evening.

Brecel may have to defeat world No. 1 Judd Trump in the quarter-finals - who is 10-6 clear of Masters champion Shaun Murphy before their final session on Monday afternoon - to prevent the hex from ending his hopes of becoming only the 10th double Crucible champion next week.

The strange stat began at the Shanghai Masters last July when O'Sullivan defeated Ding 6-3 before losing 10-3 to Trump in the semi-finals and has astonishingly continued throughout the campaign.

Selby looked destined to end the run after drubbing Ding 10-2 in the semi-finals of the Tour Championship in Manchester earlier this month.

He led fellow four-time world champion John Higgins 8-5 in the final, only to lose the final five frames in a 10-8 defeat.

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Of course, while the new hex may only be a seasonal haunting, the 48-year-old 'Crucible Curse' shows no signs of being lifted after defending champion Kyren Wilson lost to 10-9 to Lei Peifan in the first round.

"It’s obviously been built up into something it’s not, because other players have gone on to win it," said Wilson. "I’m sure it’ll be broken at some point, but unfortunately I won’t be that person."

Ding Junhui and the curse of the cuemen

Shanghai Masters

Quarter-finals: Ding Junhui lost 6-3 to Ronnie O'Sullivan
Semi-finals: Ronnie O'Sullivan lost 10-3 to Judd Trump

Xi'an Grand Prix

First round: Lost 5-4 to Alfie Burden
Second round: Alfie Burden lost 5-4 to Xu Si

Saudi Arabia Masters

Last 32: Lost 5-4 to Stuart Bingham
Last 16: Stuart Bingham lost 6-2 to Mark Williams

British Open

First round: Lost 4-3 to Aaron Hill
Second round: Aaron Hill lost 4-1 to Mark Allen

Wuhan Open

Last 16: Lost 5-3 to Chris Wakelin
Quarter-finals: Chris Wakelin lost 5-4 to Judd Trump

Champion of Champions

Last 16: Lost 4-0 to Judd Trump
Quarter-finals: Judd Trump lost 6-4 to Neil Robertson

UK Championship

Last 16: Lost 6-5 to Shaun Murphy
Quarter-finals: Shaun Murphy lost 6-2 to Barry Hawkins

Scottish Open

Last 16: Lost 4-3 to Luca Brecel
Quarter-finals: Luca Brecel lost 5-1 to Xiao Guodong

Riyadh Season Championship

Quarter-finals: Lost 4-0 to Ronnie O'Sullivan
Semi-finals: Ronnie O'Sullivan lost 4-2 to Mark Allen

The Masters

Quarter-finals: Lost 6-3 to Judd Trump
Semi-finals: Judd Trump lost 6-3 to Kyren Wilson

German Masters

Second round: Lost to Ross Muir after withdrawing
Third round: Ross Muir lost 5-2 to Yuan Sijun

World Open

Last 16: Lost 5-2 to Shaun Murphy
Quarter-finals: Shaun Murphy lost 5-1 to Joe O'Connor

World Grand Prix

Last 32: Lost 4-3 to Xu Si
Last 16: Xu Si lost 4-3 to Hossein Vafaei

Players Championship

Last 16: Lost 6-2 to Mark Williams
Quarter-finals: Mark Williams lost 6-3 to Kyren Wilson

Tour Championship

Semi-finals: Lost 10-2 to Mark Selby
Final: Mark Selby lost 10-8 to John Higgins

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