Luca Brecel advances to semi-final of World Snooker Championship

Belgian Luca Brecel will advance to the semi-final of the World Snooker Championship for the first time in his career. The 28-year-old from Limburg beat the English defending champion and number one in the world, Ronnie O'Sullivan, 13-10.

Brecel came back from 10-6 down at the start of the third session on Wednesday. After a few faulty shots from O'Sullivan, Brecel won seven frames in a row.

This was the fifth time the pair have faced off, with Brecel having beaten O'Sullivan only once previously, at the Chinese Championship in 2017. Earlier this year, O'Sullivan beat Brecel 6-1 at the Masters tournament in London.

The youngest player ever to make their debut, Brecel was only 17 when he began professionally in 2012. This is his sixth appearance in the World Championship. His opponent in the semi-final will be Scottish player Anthony McGill or Chinese player Si Jiahui.

O'Sullivan holds seven world titles dating back to 2001, with the most recent coming in 2022.

_{Luca Brecel at the Cazoo World Snooker Championship at the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield © PRESS ASSOCIATION}