Steve Davis hails ‘the most jaw-dropping player’ at World Snooker Championship
Luca Brecel received a standing ovation at the Crucible after his superb display against Ding Junhui (PA) Steve Davis hailed Luca Brecel as the ‘most jaw-dropping player’ at the World Snooker Championship following his incredible performance against Ding Junhui. Brecel, who was crowned world champion in 2023, received a standing ovation from the Crucible crowd after a brilliant display at the table saw him take a 7-1 lead against Ding on Saturday. Brecel returned to Belgium after beating Ryan Day in his first-round match on Thursday and he returned via private jet on Saturday, arriving just 25 minutes before the evening session was due to begin. Ding got off to the perfect start with a break of 141 in the first frame but Brecel’s all-out attacking style has seen him take a commanding advantage ahead of Sunday’s session. During his match commentary for the BBC, six time world champion Davis urged the crowd inside the Crucible to show their appreciation with a standing ovation for Brecel after the final frame of the evening. ‘We all have our favourites. But this is the most jaw-dropping player in the game, for me. He is astonishing,’ Davis said. Luca Brecel has taken a 7-1 lead against Ding Junhui ahead of Sunday’s session (Getty) ‘It’s just ridiculous isn’t it. The crowd absolutely loving it. You’ve just got to take your hat off to this performance. ‘We’ve seen some great performances at the Crucible. The performance Luca put in to beat Mark Selby in the final two years ago was astonishing. But as a single session of snooker this is as jaw-dropping as I’ve ever seen. ‘We’ve witnessed the most amazing exhibition of snooker in one session I think I’ve ever seen at the Crucible. Not in an exhibition match, the World Championship. ‘And he’s done this to one of the greatest players that’s ever held a cue, Ding Junhui. Incredible stuff.’ Luca Brecel is the most jaw-dropping player in snooker, says Steve Davis (Getty) Meanwhile, John Parrott described Brecel’s display against Ding as ‘peak performance’ but doubts whether the Belgian will be able to have another session like that again in the tournament. ‘He put the afterburners on, absolutely phenomenal performance right from start to finish,’ Parrott said. ‘It’s amazing when someone plays that well, you do get little rubs and things, but honestly some of the shots he’s pulled off, but he’s just played with a freedom there, it was a total peak performance from him.’ Asked if Brecel can continue his excellent form, Parrott replied: ‘He looks like he’s played himself right into form. Whether he’ll have another session like that again, that was a peak performance, that’s as good as anybody can play. ‘Very difficult to follow that up, but Ding looks devastated, he didn’t have anything left, I feel for him because he kept getting left horrible little long shots he had to drop in and he didn’t want one, it was the last shot he wanted to even look at, unfortunately for him that’s what came. ‘He’s playing so well, who knows. I doubt he’ll play as well as that in any session because that was unbelievable but he’s playing great. ‘On that form he’ll give plenty of headaches to plenty of people.’ For more stories like this, check our sport page. Follow Metro Sport for the latest news on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
Steve Davis hailed Luca Brecel as the ‘most jaw-dropping player’ at the World Snooker Championship following his incredible performance against Ding Junhui.
Brecel, who was crowned world champion in 2023, received a standing ovation from the Crucible crowd after a brilliant display at the table saw him take a 7-1 lead against Ding on Saturday.
Brecel returned to Belgium after beating Ryan Day in his first-round match on Thursday and he returned via private jet on Saturday, arriving just 25 minutes before the evening session was due to begin.
Ding got off to the perfect start with a break of 141 in the first frame but Brecel’s all-out attacking style has seen him take a commanding advantage ahead of Sunday’s session.
During his match commentary for the BBC, six time world champion Davis urged the crowd inside the Crucible to show their appreciation with a standing ovation for Brecel after the final frame of the evening.
‘We all have our favourites. But this is the most jaw-dropping player in the game, for me. He is astonishing,’ Davis said.
‘It’s just ridiculous isn’t it. The crowd absolutely loving it. You’ve just got to take your hat off to this performance.
‘We’ve seen some great performances at the Crucible. The performance Luca put in to beat Mark Selby in the final two years ago was astonishing. But as a single session of snooker this is as jaw-dropping as I’ve ever seen.
‘We’ve witnessed the most amazing exhibition of snooker in one session I think I’ve ever seen at the Crucible. Not in an exhibition match, the World Championship.
‘And he’s done this to one of the greatest players that’s ever held a cue, Ding Junhui. Incredible stuff.’
Meanwhile, John Parrott described Brecel’s display against Ding as ‘peak performance’ but doubts whether the Belgian will be able to have another session like that again in the tournament.
‘He put the afterburners on, absolutely phenomenal performance right from start to finish,’ Parrott said.
‘It’s amazing when someone plays that well, you do get little rubs and things, but honestly some of the shots he’s pulled off, but he’s just played with a freedom there, it was a total peak performance from him.’
Asked if Brecel can continue his excellent form, Parrott replied: ‘He looks like he’s played himself right into form. Whether he’ll have another session like that again, that was a peak performance, that’s as good as anybody can play.
‘Very difficult to follow that up, but Ding looks devastated, he didn’t have anything left, I feel for him because he kept getting left horrible little long shots he had to drop in and he didn’t want one, it was the last shot he wanted to even look at, unfortunately for him that’s what came.
‘He’s playing so well, who knows. I doubt he’ll play as well as that in any session because that was unbelievable but he’s playing great.
‘On that form he’ll give plenty of headaches to plenty of people.’
For more stories like this, check our sport page.
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