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Ronnie O’Sullivan crashes out of World Snooker Championship after stunning Luca Brecel comeback at Crucible
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Published 26/04/2023 at 17:23 GMT+1
Ronnie O’Sullivan is out of the World Championship after Luca Brecel stunned the world No. 1 by winning every frame in the last session of their quarter-final. Brecel won seven consecutive frames as a poor O’Sullivan was shocked by his opponent. O’Sullivan will have to wait another 12 months to try and win a record eighth Crucible title. Anthony McGill or Si Jiahui await Brecel in the last four.
‘The win of his life’ – Sensational Brecel stuns O’Sullivan
Video credit: TNT Sports
Ronnie O’Sullivan was stunned by Luca Brecel 13-10 at the World Championship after losing every frame in the final session of their quarter-final.
O’Sullivan was heavy favourite to secure a place in the last four after arriving at Wednesday's afternoon session with a 10-6 lead.
But he made several uncharacteristic errors as Brecel capitalised to knock out the defending champion with a sensational seven-frame run that saw a hush descend on the Crucible.
It means O'Sullivan's bid to surpass Stephen Hendry with an eighth world crown is over for 2023.
As for Brecel, he will play the winner of the match between Anthony McGill or Si Jiahui in the last four on Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
“It was nice to keep my level up the whole session," Brecel said in the Eurosport studio. "I needed that, and a bit of luck, which I got today.
“I’m not that surprised. I know I could easily have lost 13-6 but I’m not surprised I played like that. I know it’s in me.
“I always try to play the same game. Even at 12-10 I wasn’t expecting to win, I was just playing another frame.
“Just try to keep the same composure and style of play. I slowed down a little bit to be extra careful in the last few frames, so very happy with the way I played.”
There were signs early on that O’Sullivan would not have an easy day as he missed multiple reds in the opening frame, with Brecel laying the foundations for his roaring comeback.
O'Sullivan got back amongst things in the next, but somehow missed a "sitter" - as termed by Neal Foulds on Eurosport commentary - that left Brecel to make another frame-winning contribution, this time a scintillating 112.
A 64 in the next frame put Brecel in control, although O’Sullivan still had a chance to get back into the frame. However, when playing a safety, he fluked a red, so needed to pot a high-value colour or else he required snookers.
The Rocket went for an ambitious thin black and missed, then lost the fourth frame too so it was 10-10 at the mid-session interval.
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‘Anti-fluke’ costs O’Sullivan frame as Brecel mounts comeback
Video credit: TNT Sports
The pattern continued following the break with a 61 from Brecel and more errors from O’Sullivan putting the Belgian Bullet ahead in the match.
O’Sullivan is known as one of the best front-runners in the sport but has also shown to keep a calm head when down in recent years.
But Brecel simply piled on the pressure with breaks of 78 and 63 enough to take the next two frames and cause an enormous upset.
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