UK Championship snooker 2021 - Luca Brecel hits four centuries in win over Kyren Wilson to reach final

Published 04/12/2021 at 16:46 GMT

Luca Brecel continued his brilliant run at the UK Championship with a victory over Kyren Wilson in the semi-finals at the Barbican Centre in York. His form had not been good for a couple of years, but he is now in the final of one of snooker's major events after producing play out of the top drawer for victory.

Luca Brecel

Image credit: Eurosport

Luca Brecel produced some blistering snooker to book his place in his first Triple Crown final with a 6-4 victory over Kyren Wilson at the UK Championship.

After bursting onto the scene with victory at the China Championship in 2017, he fell off the radar after losing his cue and suffering a shoulder injury.

The signs have been more encouraging this season, with a run to the quarter-finals of the English Open.

UK Championship

'Turning up the noise!' - Ding makes delicious total clearance

00:10:20

20/11/2022 at 16:52

He stepped it up again in York, and produced some stunning snooker - including four centuries and a 97 - to take down Wilson.

A concern about Brecel competing at the top of the game is whether he can score heavily enough, but he showed with a magnificent break of 130 in the opener that he is raising the bar in that regard.

Brecel had a chance in the second, but missed a simple red and Wilson got on the board with a century of his own, a 121.

The brilliance continued in the third, with Brecel capitalising on an error from Wilson to make it three tons in as many frames, this time a 105.

Wilson has made a number of steely clearances during this year’s UK Championship, and he pulled another one out of the bag to pinch the fourth after Brecel had got in first with a break of 59.

The fifth was the first frame to turn scrappy, and it was Wilson who eked out enough contributions to claim it and move ahead for the first time in the contest.

After playing near-faultless snooker before the interval, Brecel found himself under the pump as Wilson stepped up his game.

The Belgian required a steadier, and he got one in the shape of an in-off into the green pocket from Wilson. Brecel took full advantage with his third century of the match.

The in-off felt like a big moment. It was an error from Wilson who should not have been anywhere near the pocket, and it got Brecel’s arm going.

Brecel got in again in the seventh, and for the first time in the match he won a frame without a century - as he had to settle for a mere 97 after running out of position on the penultimate red.

The Belgian took the eighth frame when conjuring up a break of 80, which came off the back of a stunning opening red.

Wilson never knows when to admit defeat, and he kept himself in the hunt with an excellent 83 in the ninth frame.

A safety battle ensued in the 10th, with over 12 minutes elapsing without a ball being potted.

Brecel played an aggressive safety, leaving Wilson a tough, long red. He took up the challenge, but it did not drop and it left an open table for his opponent.

There was plenty of pressure, but Brecel held his nerve - and crucially kept the cue ball under close control in a match-winning break of 112.

---

Stream the UK Championship and much more top snooker action live and on demand on discovery+.

UK Championship