Riyadh Season World Masters: Luca Brecel says 'sky is the limit' as weight loss restores confidence
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Published 03/03/2024 at 21:21 GMT
The Riyadh Season World Masters gets underway on Monday, March 4 and lots of talk has been on the $500,000 prize for sinking the new golden ball at the end of a maximum break. World champion Luca Brecel is looking forward to the occasion and expects the cream of the snooker crop will go for gold, with the likes of Ronnie O'Sullivan and Judd Trump also in attendance in Saudi Arabia.
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Luca Brecel has said the “sky is the limit” for the remainder of the season after getting himself back in top shape ahead of the Riyadh Season World Masters.
Brecel produced stunning snooker to win the World Championship at the Crucible last year, but his form deserted him at the start of the 2023/24 season.
He showed signs of life for the first time in 2024 with a run to the quarter-finals of the Welsh Open.
The Belgian says he has worked hard on his physical fitness in recent weeks, and feels he has benefitted from it.
The new-found confidence will be put to the test at the Riyadh Season World Masters next week - with the action live on Eurosport and discovery+.
“I just needed to work a bit on my fitness and stuff like that,” Brecel told World Snooker. “I lost a bit of weight and feel much better.
“I think that was the kind of change I needed to play well again. I feel like now, the sky is the limit.”
As world champion, Brecel said it would have been a disappointment not to secure a place in the Riyadh invitational event.
“Everyone is looking forward to it, me as well,” he said. “It is a new occasion, new fans and a new format so it is a special occasion.
“As a world champion you know you are going to be in every tournament so I would be gutted to be at home. So I am very happy.”
A lot of talk has been on the golden ball, which would need to be potted after a maximum for a 167 - and a $500,000 (£395,000) prize.
Brecel says it has piqued interest and expects all the players to take a shot at it - with the golden ball waiting in the middle of the baulk cushion.
“I have been imagining it in my head,” Brecel said. “Imagine if you are nicely on the black? It is still going to be a difficult shot to get on the last ball.
“It is going to be so difficult and your arm goes like this [shakes his arm, nervously] on the last ball, but it is a nice challenge and I think everyone will go for it.”
The Riyadh Season World Masters gets underway on Monday, March 4 and concludes on Wednesday, March 6.
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Stream top snooker action, including the Riyadh Season World Masters, live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com
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