World Championship final as it happened: Luca Brecel fights off Mark Selby to become champion

Updated 01/05/2023 at 23:16 GMT

Luca Brecel is the new snooker world champion after he fended off a tense Mark Selby comeback in a rollercoaster night at the Crucible. Brecel led 15-10 after a stunning third session and won the opening frame of the evening, before Selby tok the next five frames. However, the Belgian Bullet dug deep and joins Cliff Thorburn, Ken Doherty and Neil Robertson as the only non-British champions.

147 in full: Watch Selby's 'wonderful' maximum break in Crucible final

That'll do us

It's the end of another World Championship, and it's been another belter. These GOAT debates are all the rage, and I'm sure there'll be debate about whether this is the best ever. Who knows. Who even cares? I've never seen a duff one, and they're all, uniformly, packed full of the rich variety of stories that make us love sport. The 2023 World Snooker Championship can be filed comfortably alongside all of its glorious predecessors.

World Championship

Top 10 moments of 2022/23: No. 1 – Brecel conquers Crucible with heavy metal snooker

01/07/2023 at 08:47

With that, we're done. Congratulations once more to Luca, commiserations to Mark. Thanks for your company across these 17 days, we'll see you for more snooker in the 2023/24 season. Night night, be well out there.

More Luca talk

He's in the studio now with Radzi, Angles and the Wind. He tells us how much he loves playing, and in two days he'll be playing in a pro-am in Vienna. I'm not sure how much kip he'll get between now and then - don't be at all surprised if he rocks up wearing shades - but he will be there because he hearts this game so much. He's calmer now, his heart rate down at it's more natural resting rate, and this is a very relaxed interview. Luca is a confident, super-talented young player. What might he go on and achieve off the back of this? He tells us how proud he is to have held himself together at the end, before sending out a message in Flemish to the folks back home. There'll be a lot of his fans tucking into some of those very strong Belgian lagers I'm sure.

28 with a bullet - how the worlds was won

How about this for snagging the world title? Despite not winning a match at the Crucible in five attempts in a decade, Luca has turned over Mark Williams, Ronnie O'Sullivan and Mark Selby in the last few weeks to win this, not to mention staging the biggest comeback in Crucible history to win his semi-final with Si Jiahui. It's an outstanding victory, and for the style and manner in which it's been achieved it's surely one of the greatest wins we've ever seen, debut or otherwise.

That trophy

Confetti falls as Luca gets his mits on the trophy, and raises it to the sky. His parents and his girlfriend join him, these are moments none of them will forget. That was such a close run final in the end, but it's fitting that Luca won it in the last frame in the style that he's employed throughout - a swaggering, swashbuckling approach that has invigorated the whole sport over the last few weeks.

Interviews

The great Hazel Irvine goes to Mark first, who is as gracious in defeat as ever. He knows what we all know, what we all saw; Luca has been the better player across this final, and right across the tournament. Mark still has that 147 to console himself with though and far more importantly, after going through the mill with his mental health, he's back. When Hazel cuts to Luca, our new champion is barely holding it together. Mark is the worst opponent in such a final, he tells us. The kind words Mark sent to him go right back; I don't know what Luca is referencing here, but he mentions some news he's heard and says to Mark, and wife Vikki, 'stay strong.' Talk then moves to Luca's party boy preparations for this tournament, which aren't exactly orthodox for top players. 'It shouldn't be legal!' he says, giggling all the while.

Luca Brecel wins epic final

The crowd give it up, for both players. Luca and Mark meet tableside, and embrace each other. Luca is overcome, Mark has that face that's a mix of gutted but appreciative of the better player today. He is such a class act, and what a warrior to make a close finish of that. Luca is covering his face with a towel, mopping up tears.

Selby 15-18 Brecel

He only signs off with another ton to boot. Belgium's golden generation couldn't do it in football, but their generational, golden talent in snooker has. LUCA BRECEL IS THE CHAMPION OF THE WORLD!!!

Selby 15-17 Brecel (0-75)

In co-comms Fouldsy notes that he's being methodical rather than rhythmic here. There's not much to do with the cue ball, it only needs to move 6-12 inches around the south of the table each time. It looks like a cakewalk, but it won't be feeling like that. His heart must be going like the clappers here as he drops on frame ball red...and it's there! After the pink that follows he stays down and exhales deeply, and as more pots go he stands, arms out in a messianic pose, milking this for all its worth. As well he should; he's the world champion! What a moment for him.

Selby 15-17 Brecel (0-40)

It's a chance now alright, as two trickles through the pack either side of a canny jab with the rest on a red to keep going open everything up. From here, it's all on Luca. If he can hold it together and put 30 or so more points up, it's done.

Selby 15-17 Brecel (0-24)

Luca has been the comeback kid of this championship, but he's trying to hold off a serious resurgence to get over the line here. He only needs one more frame, any which way, but he'll know from his own extremely recent experience that Mark doesn't faze and is more than capable of rattling off three on the bike to get this done. Straight away though, Mark leaves Luca in the bottom half of the table and there's a red on to left middle. That goes, Luca forces position on the pink and that locates the same pocket too. He's quickly onto the black, clearing a path to both corners as soon as he can, and it's now a chance to win frame, match and world championship. The bunch needs work, but nothing worth having was ever won easily.

Selby 15-17 Brecel

Mark leaves a red as a thin snick to bottom left. Luca picks off that and the black, and we're all done; he's one away from victory!

Selby 15-16 Brecel (2-58)

Luca drains a long red as a shot to nothing, before putting the green safe and leaving Mark welded to the top rail. He'll be sick here though, as Mark's counter flukes an outrageous red into the bottom right! My word. Here's the gut-wrenching swings of this game in microcosm though - Mark's missed the brown to right middle and left Luca on frame ball red! What a stanza that was. Luca sinks the red, but can only roll the blue in thereafter with no path to another red. Mark is now in the muck, needing two snookers to get out of this hole.

Selby 15-16 Brecel (1-51)

A quick kill here would take the sting right out of Mark's comeback, and Luca is not freewheeling this little visit. He's right to make sure of shots when required here, and it's paying off until he lands gun barrel straight on the black and with no real angle to move any of the remaining reds into position. He tries a deep screw to clip a red away from the right rail, which works but he doesn't land on it, and a containing safety is his only option thereafter.

Selby 15-16 Brecel (1-24)

Luca tries a red long to the bottom left, misses it thick, and he's left a red to the same pocket from mid-range. Mark plugs it, but is this the break Luca needs? Unbelievably, Mark misses the black off its spot and he's served the chance right back! If Luca's having doubts, he's no showing it; as soon as possible he flies into the pack off the blue, and he's on one to the right middle. He looks confident enough, and if he can compose himself here there's enough on for him to move within one frame of victory.

Selby 15-16 Brecel

An assured 52 from Mark bags him a fifth frame in a row. Luca needs to regroup here and there are no intervals to come, he'll have to do it out there in real time.

Selby 14-16 Brecel (73-0)

This is getting very troublesome for Luca now, as he misses a red to yellow pocket from the bottom cushion and leaves a tap-in over the left middle. A swift 30 points from Mark later, another frame has gone. He's sensing a struggling opponent here, and with one frame now in it this could go either way.

Selby 14-16 Brecel (43-0)

Here's some bad luck for Mark, to book end the good that started the frame. He goes into the remaining pack off the blue, and lands near the bottom cushion without a red to go for that's anything less than extremely risky. That's end of break on 43, and with the reds as they are there's a hefty visit on for whoever gets in next.

Selby 14-16 Brecel (30-0)

Luca's looking to the roof at the start of frame 31, as Mark flukes a red into the bottom left off the black from a safety. What a touch, and what a moment for Mark to get it! The brown to right middle is confidently hammered in, and he's increasing in confidence out there. Mark's quickly into the pack too, screwing a red to bottom left and going into and off the bunch to hold for the black. That's a lovely shot, and after that fortuitous start Mark's deft touch has created a frame-winning chance.

Selby 14-16 Brecel

There are definite signs that Luca is feeling the pressure now, as he butchers an attempt at a long red and hands Mark the chance to see the frame out. It doesn't take long, as Mark tidies up a swift 31 to win his fourth frame in a row. This is getting very, very interesting.

Selby 13-16 Brecel (50-0)

Mark's played a poor one here, clipping in a red over the bottom right and overshooting the black by so much he's only left with a tough long blue. He has to bridge over another red, but he picks out a lovely pot to keep this effort going. After another red though he loses position again, and with no angle on the black he can only play safe to nix this break at a round half-ton.

Selby 13-16 Brecel (28-0)

We're back, and there's some pressure on this one, though from here none of the frames are going to feel like a sun-kissed stroll down the beach. To ratchet up the tension a little more, we get a re-rack at the start of frame 30. Mark gets the first potting chance, red to bottom right from distance, and holds for the blue. That's a confident shot, and he's getting in a rhythm here. A brilliant slow cut on the black soon after keeps this break going, and when he booms the pack open off the blue the reds split very compliantly; what a chance he's crafted now to peg back another one.

Selby 13-16 Brecel

The break goes to 64 as frame ball red disappears, and Mark is going to take this mini-session. He's still got a tremendous amount to do, needing to win it 5-1 minimum when we come back, but an evening that started out looking like it might be a procession for Luca has really changed complexion. A brilliant total clearance of 122 sends Mark off to the interval with his tail in the air, and we're nowhere near done with this one. We'll be back in 15 minutes to see how it all shakes down.

Selby 12-16 Brecel (52-0)

This is a show of moxie from Mark. Ok, it's not far off a table you'd set up for practice but with this deficit the pressure on each shot, in a game played in fractions, is huge. He's pushed this effort to a half-century already and, barring a twitch or a kick, he's going to whittle down Luca's lead by another frame.

Selby 12-16 Brecel (23-0)

Now then, interesting juncture here. If Mark can snag this one as well it'll put some heat right under it when we return from the interval. He's going for it too; after Luca's break-off he bodies a red into the bottom right and lands on the green. Within a few shots Mark is around the black spot, freeing it to go to the bottom left and giving himself a chance at a sizeable visit. A red along the bottom cushion and into the bottom right keeps him going, before he affects a near perfect split of the pack off the black.

Selby 12-16 Brecel

There are four frames in it again! Mark scrapes a 35-minute frame off the floor, and that's two in a row for him.

Selby 11-16 Brecel (30-36)

Luca goes all out at a long red, misses it and leaves it on to the green pocket. If Mark can mop up the necessary here, we'll definitely be coming back after the interval. Both reds go with colours, and he'll need up to and including the pink for the frame.

Selby 11-16 Brecel (20-36)

These are the frames Mark nicks more times than not, and he tags in a long red and finally lands on the yellow to left middle. He's got a shot at dishing up enough for the frame here, the only problem red is just below the right middle. It's gone wrong on just seven though, as he wobbles a red in the jaws of the bottom left and leaves it there. Luca can only manage seven in response though, and it looks like a club match scoreboard with two reds left on the table.

Selby 11-16 Brecel (13-29)

Mark cuts in the red, but almost goes in-off in the bottom left and lands on nothing. It's the scrappiest frame of the match so far, and another solitary red from Mark is followed by a snooker behind the blue, and it's so filthy it should be left to soak in hot, soapy water overnight. Luca needs three efforts to escape, finally catching the glance off one of the six remaining reds and running the white safe. Mark then cross-doubles a red - he can do that to, you know - but once more he can't locate position on a colour and we're back to safety.

Selby 11-16 Brecel (2-29)

Mark has landed Luca in right lumber here. There's a red over each bottom corner pocket and Luca can't see either, so with no obvious safety on to cover both Luca tries a bashed hit and hope. It's left a narrow path to the one over the bottom right, and this is a big chance for Mark. He drains the red long and holds for the black, but what a shocker this is, as he misses it straight to the bottom left to leave Luca in. The black runs away up the table, and with the blue in baulk and the pink snarled up a score of any significance here is a tough ask. Sure enough it only yields 13, before a poor safety by Luca leaves a red on to the left middle.

Selby 11-16 Brecel (1-16)

Yikes, this isn't good for Mark. His break-off shots have been poor all day, and this is the worst one so far. He catches the blue, and leaves a simple, mid-range red for Luca to get going. Off the first black Luca immediately opens the pack, and he's loosened enough to be able to get something going here. It's a chance, but he can't cash it; after two reds and blacks he's overshot position on a red, and he turns down a red to left middle that is too fraught with risk even for him. Mark gets a red down from distance but no more, and we're on to a bout of safety and shot to nothing attempts for the time being.

Selby 11-16 Brecel

It's a 78 from Mark to take the frame, and a little tweak of Luca's tail to let him know he's still there and not going away.

Selby 10-16 Brecel (51-15)

Mark goes into the pack again and everything is on for him now, as he completes a half-century and the frame looks nailed on from here. If he can win this mini-session 3-1 then we've still got a final in the balance, and there is no quit in this guy whoever and whatever he's up against.

Selby 10-16 Brecel (20-15)

Is he a bit too in love with how he's playing here? Luca cuts in a red to get back in, and then has a yahoo at a brutally tough long blue. It misses the bottom left by a stratospheric distance, and it's left Mark an easy starter. It's a poor choice of shot but let's face it, if Luca knocked back everything with a high tariff of difficulty we wouldn't enjoy him half as much as we do. Mark goes in front in the frame - after some bantz with an audience member who sneezes milliseconds after he plays one shot - and he's opened the pack to give himself a shot at winning the frame at this visit.

Selby 10-16 Brecel (0-14)

Can Mark tie Luca up here, or slow him down? A containing safety leaves Luca a shy at a red to left middle. It's a tempter, Luca is tempted, and he calmly drops it in to land on the blue. There's an ominous feeling every time Luca gets in today, but he's played a twitchy one after the blue as he misses a red to bottom left and it coughs out of the jaws. Some safety follows before Luca picks out an outrageous cross-double into the left middle to land on the black! That is an absurd shot. He can't do any more than add the black to this as he can't budge the pack off the black, but dear me. Every pot, from the testing to the spectacular, is so loaded with a borderline arrogant sense of destiny that Mark wouldn't be human if he didn't feel that defeat is starting to seem inevitable here.

Selby 10-16 Brecel

Mark pots a red, but leaves a phenomenally difficult red along the bottom rail to keep going. He nails it with an outstanding cut to bottom left, but when he misses his next red and leaves it he immediately concedes the frame. In no time, Luca is just two away from the title.

Selby 10-15 Brecel (0-67)

Luca pots the black to reach 62, and gambles of forcing one of the five remaining, tied up reds away from the pink. One duly drifts out over the right middle, and he clips it in. That was frame ball, and the brown follows before he runs out of reds to pot and plays safe. Mark returns, needing two snookers and the lot to tie the frame and bring the black back up.

Selby 10-15 Brecel (0-31)

So, will Luca arrive a little tentative, having had a few hours to consider the enormity of what he might achieve tonight? Hell no! He mullers a narrow red into the bottom left from distance, and immediately settles into what could be another chunky break given the position of the reds. The pink and black are out of commission but that's not bothering Luca right now - does, anything, ever I wonder - as he makes repeated trips up for the blue to keep things going. After landing straight on one blue, he goes for a tough brown instead to come around the angles and land on his next red. Superlatives are going out of the window today; Luca buries it and, with preposterous precision, lands perfect on his next red to free up the black.

Showtime

Rob Walker brings Luca and Mark into the arena. All the talking is done, now we're down to the doing. It's the final session of the 2023 World Snooker Championship, let's work this out once and for all.

Jim's view

Let's get the opinion of an expert. To put it mildly, James Warren White knows a little more about this game than I do, and this is how he sees it.

From here, where?

What do you do tonight if you’re Mark? He’s not really tried to take Luca to the trenches in this match – Luca certainly hasn’t allowed that at least, but if we know one thing about Mark, it’s that he’ll make Luca earn this. He’s been in the soup in a world final before; when he beat Ronnie to win his first title in 2014 he also trailed by five frames, but that was halfway through rather than close to the line. Mark let a couple of good opportunities slip earlier with uncharacteristic misses, so if he can tighten up that side of his game he might be best advised to back his more attacking game than his defensive one.

For Luca, the equation seems pretty simple. Do what you’ve been doing, and back your game. What won him the afternoon session is what will see him home tonight; it’s proved unplayable this tournament, and if he can siphon out three more frames of it he’ll complete one of the most impressive victories this event has ever witnessed. Knowing Luca as we do, I’m sure he’d sooner fly over the line than fall over it. If he’s only got the latter as his option, he’ll live with it of course; Shredsville on the final night of the worlds is a terrifying place, but you’d rather be participating in it than watching it from home.

Nearly there

Welcome back, in 20 minutes or so we’ll be getting stuck into the final session of the 2023 World Snooker Championship. The equation is simple: Mark needs eight frames, Luca just three. It’s been a belting final, with more than one shift in momentum, and we could be lights out quick or brewing up at midnight for the conclusion of this one. Absorbing doesn’t quite cover what we’ve seen so far over the last two days; it has to end at some point of course, but if you ladled me out a big dollop of this match every day until I’m out of here, I’d be a very contented person indeed.

One of two things will happen tonight. Either Luca will see it home and complete one of the most memorable tournament victories in history, or Mark will claw this back with a comeback for the ages to land a fifth world title in ten attempts. Whatever happens, we’ll not be forgetting this final in a hurry. There’s greatness in the air around the Crucible right now – including backstage, where two diametrically different but equally compelling icons of sport cross paths in a lovely show of mutual appreciation.

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That's us for now

It's been some afternoon of entertainment; join us again at 6.45pm BST to see how it all pans out.

Luca Brecel closes in on the title

What a matinee that was folks, after the feature film that we saw yesterday evening. This is an absorbing and electric final so far, and Luca Brecel in particular is serving up snooker from the gods out there. That first mini-session was absolutely staggering, one of the best hours of snooker I've ever seen from any player, and he fired in a 113, 101, 141 and 119 on the way to taking it 6-2. Yet for all of those devastating breaks packed with eye-popping pots and positional shots, that 38 at the end might have been the most important break of the lot. Instead of a three frame lead tonight Luca ensured that it will be five, and even for a titanium tough competitor like Mark that might be too big a hill to climb. Luca leads it, with glory and greatness just three frames away when we return tonight.

Selby 10-15 Brecel

What a shot from Luca! He thunders in the yellow to go around the houses and get on the green near the black spot. That's magnificent, and green and brown are dispatched before he leaves himself a blue to bottom right for the frame. Luca strokes it in with minimum fuss, and then trundles the pink down the rail and into the bottom left to put it to bed! What a stunning break, he'll be just three frames from the title when they return tonight!

Selby 10-14 Brecel (40-40)

Mark has a go at a red long to the bottom right. He's butchered the pot, and all three reds are now in the open but amazingly he's not left Luca on one. In response, Luca snookers Mark tight behind the green; Mark fashions a glancing escape, but leaves a red on to the green pocket. Luca nails the long cut, and he's landed on the black.That's another highlight reel shot from him, and after dunking in the black he cleans up the two remaining reds with colours - crucially the blue off the last one, so he won't need the pink that's nailed to the left rail. We're level in the frame, and Luca is four balls away from leaving Mark needing a snooker.

Selby 10-14 Brecel (40-20)

That could be quite a let-off for Mark, who sets about punishing that miss. A tough pot on a red with the rest is negotiated despite awkward cueing, but he misses a similar shot to the same pocket soon after to bring his break juddering to a halt. Luca grabs the rest and puts the offending red away, before going into the pack off one cushion from the brown. It's not a clean connection, but he's on a red to the bottom left, and he wriggles it in. Steadily and surely, Luca chisels away at the deficit; he's not rushing this, and nor should he because this is a fairly crucial juncture of the match. On 19 though he can't drop in behind two reds near the pink spot, so opts to bring out the only safe red and put the white in baulk.

Selby 10-14 Brecel (22-1)

One question to ponder after this session will be what Luca's best century was this afternoon. Another will be whether Mark can still when this final, and if he can nab the last frame here we've got a live one alright. Both players have been leaving a red to a bottom corner as a matter of course today, and Luca obliges here; Mark drains it, and he's got a scoring chance as he pulls up on the brown. He goes into the pack early but loses control of the white, which forces him to try and blam a yellow into the right middle and go in and out of baulk. The pot coughs out, and Luca is in. Hello though - after the opening red, Luca has missed a black off its spot!

Selby 10-14 Brecel

He's tripping his little light fantastic again! Luca puts the frame away and then let's his arm go. A preposterous shot on the second to last red, hammering it in and bringing the final red off the right rail to land on the green, is the showstopper as Luca empties the table again for another ton! That is a magical 119 from Luca, and with a little tap on the accelerator he keeps Mark at arms length in this match.

Selby 10-13 Brecel (0-60)

Luca reaches 49, and plays a lovely shot in and out baulk off the green and land on a red near the right middle. That's such a great shot because he had to be so precise off three cushions, never mind cut the green in. He's closing in on the frame, but it's getting tougher; he pots the pink and stuns through a few reds, trusting to luck, and all he's left with is a brutally tough red along the rail to the bottom right. Here's another pearler though - he's hammered it in, and he's straight on the yellow in baulk to come back down for frame ball red!

Selby 10-13 Brecel (0-26)

'Luca's long potting has deserted him, but it can all change,' says Uncle Joe in co-comms at the start of frame 24. To illustrate that point, Luca clips in a red long to the bottom right after a poor break from Mark, and he's on the green. Another break starts to take shape, and in going into the pack off the black he's on a red to bottom right, and they've split reasonably well. The feel of the match might have changed in the last two frames, but it can quickly change again if Luca starts motoring.

Selby 10-13 Brecel

We're living in a different world now kids. Mark holds it down and clears up to the blue he needs, leaving Luca needing a snooker on the pink. Luca inadvertently pots it so we're done, and Mark is chipping away at his lead once more.

Selby 9-13 Brecel (54-56)

Luca lands a superb snooker, full ball with white and red twelve feet apart, and Mark clangs into the black from his attempted escape. At the second attempt Mark gets out and leaves the red on to the green pocket, but Luca can’t convert it. This is tense stuff, because no colours are safe so the lot should go for whoever gets this red down. Mark then misses two attempts to catch a thin contact safety and Luca takes the lead in the frame, but what a costly error this might be - a poor shot from Luca pushes the red over the yellow pocket, and it's on.

Selby 9-13 Brecel (54-41)

One of the tough remaining reds goes as Mark drops behind it and jabs it into the bottom left with the rest. He doesn't have the angle on the pink to shift the final red off the right rail; he could risk the double, but stakes is high so he amps up the pressure by laying a snooker in behind the black. Luca swerves out of it though, and lands one of his own. We're down to the final red again, with another frame hinging on it.

Selby 9-13 Brecel (31-41)

Mark catches an unfortunate flick on a red from a safety, and leaves Luca with a shot at a red to bottom right from mid-range. It's basically the frame of it goes in, but the red rattles out thick and Mark is on a red to left middle. That was nervy from Luca for the first time today, and if Mark can punish this the mood music of this match will have changed significantly. There are two remaining reds near cushions, but if Luca gets back to the table he's unlikely to be in the lead in the frame when he does so.

Selby 9-13 Brecel (0-41)

Luca's had one here, as he forces a black into the bottom right and the white off two cushions, but gets through it to much and overshoots all reds to the bottom left. With safety in mind he tries a wafer thin cut on a red to bottom left that doesn't go, and it's a big reprieve for Mark because the frame looked set to go there.

Selby 9-13 Brecel (0-25)

Frame 24 gets popping with Mark pushing the boat out on a red to the bottom right to hold for the blue. It doesn't go close, and as a result the red pops up over the left middle to give Luca another easy in. He's quickly into the pack, and the white squirts out to the right to leave a tough red to left middle. Once more, Luca calmly rolls it in and he's left himself a practice table as a result. He almost messes things up by cannoning the blue full ball after a red, but he's on the pink and tucks it smoothly into the green pocket with the rest.

Selby 9-13 Brecel

Exhale if you're a Mark fan, as he drains the final red into the yellow pocket and clears up to the brown. Were Peter Drury commentating here he might yell 'Base camp!' right now; it's a huge frame for Mark, and the gap is back to four.

Selby 8-13 Brecel (72-35)

Never mind the frame itself, the symbolism of Luca going six up by recovering a frame in these circumstances against this opponent will surely break the back of this final for him. It's got very tense in the Crucible suddenly, as Mark gets two looks at a cut on a red and can't convert either. Luca's safety game is not really putting any pressure on Mark though, as this battle on the final red continues. A good snooker from Mark, right in behind the black, forces a miss from Luca and we're back to one snooker required.

Selby 8-13 Brecel (68-35)

This is getting interesting suddenly, as Luca picks off a couple of red-black combos and then pushes the final red right up the table with the white in behind the blue. Mark, a master of escapology, goes for a one-cushion escape...and he's missed it. My oh my. Frame back on!

Selby 8-13 Brecel (68-15)

Although it wasn't a frame-winner, that 63 was a more than handy visit and it's paid off now. Luca leaves a red on to bottom left, Mark drains it followed by the brown and Luca now needs a snooker. He'll come back to try and find it, but for the moment it looks like Mark will stem this flurry of frames from Luca. Two reds and colours go from Luca and we're down to three reds remaining. For the first time today, there's a lull in the ferocious pace of this match.

Selby 8-13 Brecel (63-0)

Mark rings in a half-century, but lands so straight on the black that he can't force position on his next red from it. He tries it off the brown, which is hanging in the jaws of the green pocket, but he misses the cluster of three around pink and it's end of break on 63.

Selby 8-13 Brecel (31-0)

It's a scratchy start to frame 22 as both players miss long cuts on reds, but Mark gets in eventually with a red to the bottom right and he has a hand-on-table chance again. After letting two good looks go before the interval, he surely needs to register something significant here, but as he reaches 30 he goes into the pack off the black, and he ends up stuck to them. The break looks cooked, but he finds a path to stab a cut on a red into the left middle, and comes off two cushions for the black. That's a gutsy shot right there, and he's back in control of this break.

Wow!

Well, what do you say about that? One thing to note is that Luca is being let in quite easily here as Mark either missed some incredibly costly balls or left easy starters off the break, but still. To convert every chance with such ruthless precision – and not get too carried away when the frame is live, as Luca can do at times – smacks of a player who has located the slither of the Venn where assuredness and ability overlap and make the complete player.

Not only that, it’s Mark Selby that he’s doing this to – an all-time great, who at the moment looks destined to fall to Luca just as Ronnie O’Sullivan and Mark Williams did before him. We knew Luca was gifted, but did we think he was capable of this? I’ll hold my hands up, I didn’t think he had the game right now to get to this level, and within five frames of being world champion. I think it’s safe to safe to say we’re witnessing a transcendent performance here, and this is what greatness does – it shatters all of your preconceptions about what you thought was possible.

I’m still coming down from it all. How must Mark be feeling? If anyone can compartmentalize an onslaught like that, it’s him, and if he can get out of this next mini-session with a 3-1 or even level, he’s imbued with enough greatness of his own to take this argument late into tonight.

What an afternoon. The players are back, and we go again…

Selby 8-13 Brecel

Oh it's another ton alright! Luca drains the black to huge cheers, but he's nowhere near done. He clears up the colours with the casual demeanour of someone popping over the road for a pint of milk, and it's a staggering 141 from Luca to end one of the most devastating mini-sessions I've ever seen.

Take a bow Luca, take a bow. In less than an hour he's taken total command of what started out today as a tight final. We'll be back in 15 minutes to see if Luca - or Mark - can somehow top that.

Selby 8-12 Brecel (0-70)

A tiny miscalculation by Luca leaves hi the wrong side of the blue, which leaves a mid-range red to bottom left as frame ball. He locates the centre of the pocket though, and we're done here. Luca is going to sweep a quite sensational mini-session, can he make it three tons in four frames?

Selby 8-12 Brecel (0-55)

A tickle on three reds below the pink leaves the frame at Luca's mercy now, as there are pots on everywhere. This is like some AI simulation of perfect snooker. Another half-century is in the books, and the interval might be a blessed relief for Mark as it will at least keep Luca off the table for 20 minutes or so.

Selby 8-12 Brecel (0-32)

Mark is in real danger of being swept in this mini-session now, and the danger increases when he misses a long red to bottom right after Luca's break-off shot. That red is covered by the blue, but Luca has two cuts to go at on either side and drops one into the bottom left to land on the black. Confidence is flowing through Luca right now lake a raging river. He's quickly into the pack, finds a good recovery pot on the pink when position goes slightly awry as a result and Mark will be fearing the worst already here.

Selby 8-12 Brecel

You can probably hear the cheers wherever you are. Luca leaves frame ball red as a double to the left middle. Does he roll it, making the pocket bigger and giving it every chance to drop? Does he hell. Luca wallops it in, right into the heart of the pocket, and don't they love that in the Crucible! What a shot, which is proving to be a evergreen statement in this match. Luca ain't nearly done either. He lets his arm go for the rest of the break, and empties the table once more to register a 101 to win his third frame in a row!

Selby 8-11 Brecel (35-51)

This is a wonderfully composed effort from Luca. He's playing at just half a beat slower than his electric best, which tells you that he badly wants to convert this chance. Another half-century is in the books, but he will need that taxing red on the right of the table to get this done in one visit. Can he drop on it or, even better, shift it?

Selby 8-11 Brecel (35-22)

Mark goes into the pack, and all fate leaves him is a tricky cut on a red to left middle. It's close, but it rolls out off the knuckles; Luca is in, and can nab what might prove a crucial steal. One red has floated out to near the right rail, but everything else is negotiable. Both players will know the significance of this visit, and Luca sets about chipping away at Mark's lead.

Selby 8-11 Brecel (27-0)

Neither player can get hold of frame 20, until Mark hoses a red long into the bottom right and screws back to baulk. He then parks Luca right in behind the yellow, and Luca not only misses the red below the black with his escape, he's left it on. This is a big old chance for Mark - these kind of openings aren't quite at the must-convert stage yet, but their importance is going north the closer both men get to the winning line. Mark starts stitching his break together, and with the black on to both corners one decent split on the pack from beneath it will make this a frame-winning opportunity.

Selby 8-11 Brecel

A swift 29 from Luca keeps Mark in his chair. We've been going less than half an hour, and Luca has reasserted a significant lead.

Selby 8-10 Brecel (0-65)

What a shot here from Luca! With the white tucked under the top cushion, he guides in a red to the bottom right, goes around the angles and pulls up on the brown. He's soon back in the bottom half of the table, and that shot might well have won him the frame. Sure enough, frame ball red is prodded into the bottom left and Luca's on the black to the same pocket. He's going to take another one, and he's started very well here.

Selby 8-10 Brecel (0-44)

There are butterfly wings moments all over a 35 frame match, and here might be another - Luca is millimetres away from dropping perfectly on a red below the pack that he could utilise to open the bunch and rattle off another quick frame. As it is he's on nothing, and has to send the white back to baulk. A few shots later he cross-doubles a red into the bottom right, but with no easy colour to go for he plans ahead and puts the green safe.

Selby 8-10 Brecel (0-39)

This is how on edge Luca plays the game. His break isn't great and there's a red on to bottom right - 'He's left that red on so many times,' notes the great Joe Johnson in co-comms - and Mark rattles the red in the jaws of the bottom right but it somehow stays up. That's a touch for Luca, who steps in to pick the red off, and he's away once more. Prior to the match, there was a lot of focus on whether Luca could stay with Mark in the safety exchanges; maybe there should also have been more focus on whether Mark can live with Luca in a sustained volley of heavy scoring. This break is at 39 in a heartbeat, as a good recovery red from Luca gets him on the brown.

Selby 8-10 Brecel

That should do it; Luca plays the red into the bottom left deadweight, and then for good measure cuts in the black. Is there a ton on? Probably not as he can't bring the last red off the left rail but hello - he's only gone and trebled the thing into the right middle! 'Wahey!' go the Crucible crowd, and Luca empties the lot for a spectacular 113! It's another stunning break, and he leads by two.

Selby 8-9 Brecel (24-53)

Luca goes into the pack with force, when a tickle would've sufficed. It leaves him a tough cut on a red to left middle to keep the break going, but he glides it in and he's on the blue. There's enough in the open for him to get it pegged at this visit, and a pink to right middle brings up the half-century. Frame ball red will likely be along the bottom cushion, and he'll only need to drop behind it off the black.

Selby 8-9 Brecel (24-8)

It's a mistake early on from Luca, who makes a complete hash of a safety and hits the rail first rather than the bottom cushion. It drops Mark on an easy starter, with the black on to both corners and a load of open reds to go at. It's three reds and three blacks to start, but just as we start to think surely not again, a loose positional shot forces Mark to snick a thin red down the rail to the bottom left and he's missed it in the jaws. Luca, a bit edgy with his first few shots, settles himself with a good cut on the black to leave a red on to the yellow pocket, and he's away.

Here we go

No more flannel then, it's time to get it sorted. Rob Walker of talking fame brings both players into the arena, which is bouncing as you might expect for the last day of the worlds. Luca needs nine, Mark needs ten; it's difficult to imagine that this will be anything less than gripping.

That 147

Let’s just reflect on that for a moment. A maximum, at the Crucible, in a World Championship final. Short of doing it to win your 18th frame and therefore the title, I’m not sure the game has a higher high than that. Everyone in the game seems rightly thrilled for Mark, even if the equalling of their own maxi earlier in the tournament leaves them several bags lighter.

The History Boys

It’ll be a great story for whoever wins this. Prior to this tournament, Luca hadn’t won a match at the Crucible in five attempts. Now he’s on the verge of becoming the first player from mainland Europe to win this tournament. Moreover, he could win it by beating Williams, O’Sullivan and Selby, and via that epic semi-final win over Si Jiahui where he completed the greatest comeback in Crucible history. All of that to win your first world title? You’d take it, as they say.

As for Mark, he’s on the cusp of becoming a five-time world champion; slightly behind the likes of Ronnie O'Sullivan, Stephen Hendry and Steve Davis but above the great John Higgins, a mezzanine all of his own. It’s a chance to change the conversation about his whole career. And speaking of conversations, it would also be his first world title in the aftermath of formally, movingly and importantly opening up about his mental health issues in the past few years. What character to get back to this point; he’s an inspiration.

The Jester

What an evening it was for Mark last night. It had the maximum in there obviously – and boy did he enjoy that – but the main takeaway was that he won the session handsomely and he’s within one of Luca as things stand. He’ll presumably be far less jaded this afternoon than he clearly was 24 hours ago, and that makes this final look like a coin flip from here.

The Bullet

While Luca has the lead, the momentum is with Mark. Although he’s new to this specific level, Luca will know that momentum is a fickle pal in a four-session snooker match and will do one at a moment’s notice. It will swing again – it always does – and Luca should and surely will back his natural attacking game to get the job done today. It’s got him this far, why change now? Although a notable feature of yesterday was a number of frames where he went nose-to-nose with Mark in safety exchanges and didn’t flinch.

Afternoon all

Welcome to the final day of the 2023 World Snooker Championship. Even by the lofty standards of this thing it’s been a brilliant tournament so far, and we arrive at denouement with a final that’s right on the edge. Luca Brecel fair stamped his foot on the accelerator yesterday afternoon, racing to a four-frame lead against a drained Mark Selby, and in truth the lead could have been a lot bigger than 6-2. Then came last night.

The Sunday evening session of this final really was a privilege to witness. Both players contributed heavily – Luca was bouncing pots in off the lampshades – but it was notable for a defiant fightback from Mark. He won the session including the last three in a row; in the middle one of those frames, he registered a near perfect 147, a first for a Crucible final and which sent the crowd into rapture. When it was all said and done Luca’s lead was down to 9-8, and we could be in for a barnstorming finish today.

If that was the hors d'oeuvre, then what on earth might be plated up for us today? Let’s get the table set and find out.

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Selby makes historic 147 and trails Brecel by just one frame after thrilling session

Mark Selby made a historic 147 maximum break and trails Luca Brecel 9-8 after an enthralling second session at the World Championship final at the Crucible Theatre.

Selby became the first player to make a 147 in a Crucible final, 40 years on from Cliff Thorburn’s historic maximum, in the penultimate frame on Sunday night.

Brecel had led 6-2 after the first session, but the four-time champions showed all his nous to haul in his opponent and set up an enthralling day of action on Monday.

Brecel ‘bang in trouble’ as Selby 'back with a vengeance’, say White and McManus

Alan McManus and Jimmy White lauded Selby’s magnificent 147 against Brecel and believe the world No. 2 is back to his brilliant best.

Selby trails Brecel 9-8 after the second session, but now has momentum behind him after making the historic break.

“He's back with a vengeance,” McManus told Eurosport.

“This is a match to win the World Championship; a lot of people coming into this session tonight were thinking, wrongly, that he was kind of out of it. He's not out of it now, one frame is the difference and he keeps on producing. You think he's going to go away quietly, but that's not the way he rolls.”

This was echoed by White, who feels Selby has really found his groove at the right time and believes the signs are looking ominous for Brecel’s slender lead.

“He's firing on all cylinders now. He nearly made that last black to try and hold for the yellow, and it was almost an impossible shot, the maximum.

“The shackles are off with him. Okay, he may have been a bit tired in the morning, but the type of game that Luca plays, he thought that I'd have to start attacking and all of a sudden now his A-game is there.

“He's always going to have his tactical side, and is always going to have the right shot selection. But now he's scoring, and that fabulous 147. Luca is one frame in front, but is bang in trouble I'm afraid.”