Luca Brecel

Bio

In 2017 Luca Brecel became the first player from mainland Europe to win a full-ranking event by defeating Shaun Murphy 10-5 to win the China Championship in Guangzhou.

A prodigiously talented junior, during his first professional season the Belgian notably became the youngest-ever player to qualify for the televised stages of the World Championship at just 17, eclipsing the previous record set by Stephen Hendry.

The biggest victory of his career came at the China Championship in 2017 as he claimed his first ranking event title and a career-best prize of £150,000 to break into the world’s top 16 for the first time.

A year earlier Brecel had reached his first full-ranking event final at the German Masters, losing 9-5 to Martin Gould. He also reached the final of the non-ranking Shoot Out tournament, losing to Robin Hull.

In 2020 he claimed his second professional title at the Championship League, topping the winners group at the Marshall Arena ahead of Ben Woollaston, Stuart Bingham and Ryan Day. The win was notable for being the first professional competition staged during the COVID-19 pandemic and saw Brecel qualify for that year’s Champion of Champions tournament.

Two years earlier he also enjoyed success in the same competition as he compiled the first maximum break of his career against John Higgins.

As an amateur, Brecel notably won the EBSA European Under-19s Championship in 2019 aged just 14, before going on to claim the open age title a year later.

Career Honours

WST Ranking Event Titles (1)

• 2017/18: China Championship

Professional Non-Ranking Event Titles (1)

• 2019/20: Championship League