Ex-World Snooker Champ maverick Luca Brecel fails to show up for start of season after going public with new girlfriend
LUCA BRECEL did not bother to turn up for the first day of the new snooker season and will miss out on a mega-money Chinese takeaway.
The Belgian Bullet has fallen a long way since becoming champion of the world in thrilling style in May 2023.
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The 2025-26 baize campaign began on Sunday with Wuhan Open qualifying and Brecel, 30, was due to play Pakistani Haris Tahir.
It was scheduled to take place at 2.30pm at the Mattioli Arena in Leicester.
Yet Brecel, who has fallen to 39th on the WST list, appears not to have been in the country.
So, a 5-0 walkover was awarded to his opponent, who secured a spot in the main draw in the Far East.
On Saturday, he posted images of himself with his reported new girlfriend and hours before his match he uploaded a photo of pizzas and two wine glasses.
If anything, it suggested he was not necessarily in the mood for break-building.
It is another sorry situation for a potting maverick who lives by his own rules.
His absence means he will not take part in the Wuhan Open, which takes place in the last week of August and has a top prize of about £140,000.
Former world champions Mark Williams, Shaun Murphy and John Higgins all made the effort to play over the weekend despite qualifying being behind closed doors.
During the World Championship, Brecel flew to Sheffield, from Holland via East Midlands Airport, on the day of his second-round clash with Ding Junhui.
That is because he did not want to stay the night before in a hotel in South Yorkshire.
Amazingly, he dominated the opening session 7-1 against Ding even though he had only arrived in the UK a few hours earlier.
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