European Masters snooker: Will Luca Brecel and his new cue replace Ronnie O'Sullivan as world No. 1? – 'Not expected'
ByTNT Sports
Updated 23/08/2023 at 12:00 GMT+1
The European Masters could see a new world No. 1 crowned before the winner picks up the title on Sunday night in Nuremberg. World champion Luca Brecel will take the coveted top spot for the first time in his career by reaching the last four, while Mark Allen knows victory in the second ranking event of the season will see him take over at the top from absent snooker GOAT Ronnie O'Sullivan.
Brecel edges past Page to progress in European Masters
Video credit: TNT Sports
World champion Luca Brecel is on the brink of becoming the sport's new world No. 1 after Ronnie O'Sullivan's withdrawal from the European Masters due to medical reasons.
O'Sullivan was scheduled to open his campaign against 1995 World Championship semi-finalist Andy Hicks at the KIA Metropol Arena in Nuremberg on Tuesday night, but his absence has given Brecel the opportunity to land top spot in the rankings for the first time in his career.
An opening 5-3 win over Jackson Page has enabled the world No. 2 Belgian to close the gap on O'Sullivan to only 9,500 points with £3,000 guaranteed for reaching a last-64 meeting with India's Ishpreet Singh Chadha on Wednesday afternoon ((live on Eurosport and discovery+).
A run to the quarter-finals by winning three more matches would secure Brecel a further 8,000 points with the £17,500 available from the semi-finals seeing him topple the seven-time world champion from the top of the standings.
Playing with a new cue after his old cue was lost in transit during the close season in America, Brecel picked up from where he left off in Sheffield after edging out Selby 18-15 to become his country's first world champion.
“When the draw came out I was panicking a bit. Jackson Page is not the one you want as a starter, he is really tough and a big talent," he told reporters.
"I had to play really well and I didn’t expect to play this well. I’m really happy with the win.
“I don’t think this cue is ever going to be the same. Normally, the cue doesn’t matter to me, but this one felt so good that it is going to take some time to get used to.
"I guess this is also a good cue and it is never going to be exactly the same, but I think I can get really close to my World Championship level.”
Mark Allen needed to reach the world final in May to become the new world No. 1, but an agonising 17-15 defeat to Selby in the semi-finals at the Crucible denied him the chance of the coveted spot.
The Northern Irishman remains in the hunt this week – he whitewashed Anton Kazakov 5-0 on Tuesday – ahead of his match with Thepchaiya Un-Nooh in the second round, but would need to claim the £80,000 first prize on Sunday night in Germany to move up from third spot in the provisional rankings.
Latest world rankings
- 1. Ronnie O'Sullivan (Eng) 883,500
- 2. Luca Brecel (Bel) 873,500
- 3. Mark Allen (NI) 837,500
- 4. Judd Trump (Eng) 554,000
- 5. Mark Selby (Eng) 549,500
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Stream the European Masters and other top snooker action live on discovery+, the Eurosport app and at eurosport.com
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