Luca Brecel defies illness to find form as World Championship title defence begins

Brecel has returned with arguably the lowest expectation of any defending champion.

Luca Brecel leads Dave Gilbert after the opening session of their World Championship match in Sheffield (Richard Sellers/PA) (PA Wire)

Defending champion Luca Brecel looked set to defy expectations after building a 6-3 lead over qualifier David Gilbert in the opening session of World Championship first round match at the Crucible.

The Belgian headed back to Sheffield having spent much of the last 12 months enjoying the rewards of his stunning 2023 success and made it clear he felt qualifier Gilbert, a semi-finalist in 2019, would start as favourite.

But two centuries and two further breaks over 70 helped put the 29-year-old in full control ahead of their resumption on Saturday evening, when Brecel requires four more frames to seal his place in the last 16.

With a solitary ranking quarter-final to his name in an indifferent campaign, Brecel came back with arguably the lowest expectation of any defending champion and seemingly little hope of breaking the so-called ‘Crucible curse’ of first-time winners who have failed to retain their crown.

A bout of illness in the build-up to the tournament hardly helped instil enthusiasm in Brecel’s chances but he threatened to make a mockery of those expectations by enjoying an explosive start, zapping in a break of 91 in the opener then briefly sniffing a maximum in the next as he settled for a sizzling total clearance of 134.

Brecel had the first chance in the third frame but ran out of position on 24, enabling a grateful Gilbert to step in with a break of 70 to get on the board and it was a similar story in the next as the qualifier hauled himself level at 2-2.

Brecel, insistent that he feels no pressure this year having already achieved his lifetime goal, duly responded with 73 and 104, and when Gilbert was punished for missing an easy black in the next to fall 5-2 behind, it looked bleak for the British player.

Gilbert responded with a superb break of 115 to narrow the deficit but failed to take his chances in a marathon ninth, which Brecel finally ground out to ensure he will return for the concluding session with a three-frame cushion.

Judd Trump rode his luck to establish a 6-3 overnight lead over Hossein Vafaei at the end of the first session of their World Snooker Championship first round clash at the Crucible.

Third seed Trump looked sharp and focused against the dangerous Iranian qualifier, but Vafaei was left to rue a series of missed opportunities ahead of their resumption on Sunday afternoon.

The 29-year-old Vafaei could easily have headed into the mid-session interval with a 4-0 lead over the 2019 champion, but instead it was Trump who kept his nerve to carve a 3-1 advantage that he seldom looked likely to relinquish.

Vafaei, who lost a second-round grudge match to Ronnie O’Sullivan last year with a session to spare, got in first in each of the first two frames but failed to capitalise on his chances and Trump delivered breaks of 63 and 66 to seize the initiative.

Even a 60-point lead in third frame was not enough for Vafaei, who was punished for running out of position as Trump dispatched a 72 clearance to extend his advantage.

Vafaei finally got a frame on the board in the next but normal service resumed on the other side of the interval as a missed black cost him the opportunity to reduce the deficit to within one frame.

The Iranian responded with a cool 138 but Trump took the next two before a 74 from Vafaei in the final frame of the session at least left him with a flicker of hope.

Stephen Maguire produced two centuries but could not shake off ninth seed Ali Carter, who takes a 5-4 lead into their conclusion on Sunday.

The Scot, a two-time semi-finalist, made a storming start with breaks of 93 and 114 but showed his frustration as untimely errors scattered the rest of the session, before a nervy 55 in the ninth frame enabled him to keep in touch with the two-time former finalist.

Zhang Anda, the 11th seed, trails 5-2 after the opening session against qualifier Jak Jones, in a match that was hauled off two frames early due to slow play.

Zhang, three times a ranking finalist this year, looked ill at ease at the Crucible and Jones, who reached the last eight on his debut last year, needed only three half-centuries to finish in a commanding position.