Latest news with #LucaBrecel
The Sun
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
Snooker maverick Luca Brecel pulls out of second major event as he hangs out with girlfriend and wears bizarre mask
LUCA BRECEL has put in another no-show just days after skipping qualifying for the Wuhan Open. The 2023 world champion, 30, dropped out of the British Open qualifiers in Leicester on Wednesday. 3 3 3 Brecel failed to show in the East Midlands for his match with Alexander Ursenbacher. It comes just days after he failed to turn up for a similar event ahead of the Wuhan Open. A brief statement from the World Snooker Tour read: "Luca Brecel has withdrawn from this week's British Open qualifiers and been replaced in the draw by Ashley Carty. "Brecel was due to face Alexander Ursenbacher on Wednesday afternoon but has decided to pull out. "Carty is the highest available player from the Q School top-up list." Brecel is currently enjoying a summer holiday with new flame Shawney Demuyter. He appeared to be out of the country on Sunday as he went out for pizza and drinks with his beau. On Tuesday, the day before his scheduled match with Ursenbacher, Brecel uploaded a snap of himself wearing a bizarre mask on Instagram. BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK He followed it with snaps of him wearing a pink hat and a giant black wig. He captioned the picture: "Bad hair day." The Belgian Bullet has slipped down to number 39 in the world rankings, with his form collapsing since his world title win two years ago. Legendary snooker star Steven Hendry said of Brecel: "He's fallen off a cliff. What a great player, though. "It's very frustrating for me to watch someone who is so talented [not perform]. "He's still in his 20s, and could play still for the next 10, 15 years, win so many tournaments, earn so much money... [but he] doesn't seem interested." Brecel had been set to play in next month's Championship League. But he has already withdrawn from that event. Brecel has previously dubbed himself the "Ronaldinho of snooker" thanks to his fast-paced and risk-taking style. The maverick told Midnite: "I just don't really think a lot about winning tournaments and stuff like that. I just like playing the game.
The Irish Sun
26-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
Snooker maverick Luca Brecel pulls out of second major event as he hangs out with girlfriend and wears bizarre mask
LUCA BRECEL has put in another no-show just days after skipping qualifying for the Wuhan Open. The Advertisement 3 Luca Brecel missed another qualifying round on Wednesday Credit: Alamy 3 The 30-year-old has been posting updates with new girlfriend Shawney Demuyter Credit: Instagram @ 3 Brecel rocked a number of costumes in updates posted on Tuesday Credit: Instagram Brecel failed to show in the East Midlands for his match with Alexander Ursenbacher. It comes just days after he A brief statement from the World Snooker Tour read: "Luca Brecel has withdrawn from this week's British Open qualifiers and been replaced in the draw by Ashley Carty. "Brecel was due to face Alexander Ursenbacher on Wednesday afternoon but has decided to pull out. Advertisement READ MORE ON SNOOKER "Carty is the highest available player from the Q School top-up list." Brecel is currently enjoying a summer holiday with new flame Shawney Demuyter. He appeared to be out of the country on Sunday as he On Tuesday, the day before his scheduled match with Ursenbacher, Brecel uploaded a snap of himself wearing a bizarre mask on Instagram. Advertisement Most read in Snooker Warning BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK He followed it with snaps of him wearing a pink hat and a giant black wig. He captioned the picture: "Bad hair day." BBC commentator spots moment Luca Brecel apologises to Judd Trump during epic World Snooker Championship quarter-final The Belgian Bullet has Advertisement Legendary snooker star Steven Hendry said of Brecel: "He's fallen off a cliff. What a great player, though. "It's very frustrating for me to watch someone who is so talented [not perform]. "He's still in his 20s, and could play still for the next 10, 15 years, win so many tournaments, earn so much money... [but he] doesn't seem interested." Brecel had been set to play in next month's Championship League. Advertisement But he has already withdrawn from that event. Brecel has previously The maverick told : "I just don't really think a lot about winning tournaments and stuff like that. I just like playing the game. "I'm more of a Ronaldinho type of player in snooker, so it's all about just entertaining and fun! Advertisement "And also having a nice life around it, that's more important to me! So yeah, no pressure."
Wales Online
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
Snooker world champion who lost millions fails to show up for match at start of new season
Snooker world champion who lost millions fails to show up for match at start of new season The new snooker season has just started, but one significant star has began it by failing to show up for his match at the Wuhan Open qualifiers Luca Brecel's antics have cost him again (Image: George Wood, Getty Images ) Former snooker millionaire Luca Brecel failed to show up for his Wuhan Open qualifier clash against Haris Tahir. Brecel, who won the World Snooker Championship in 2023, was due to play the Pakistani star in Leicester. However, the Belgian never appeared and Tahir was given a 5-0 walkover and a spot in the main competition at the last-64 stage. The match was scheduled for 2.30pm and even had a live commentary of proceedings on the World Snooker Tour's website. Fans quickly clocked that Tahir was constantly being awarded frame after frame, as per tournament rules for late arrivals. He was eventually awarded the win and put through to the next round at the Wuhan Open, which has a first prize of £140,000. Brecel uploaded a series of pictures to his Instagram story of himself and new partner Shawney Demuyter drinking wine and eating pizza in his homeland of Belgium on Sunday. It was an unusual start to the new season for Brecel, who admitted to losing his millionaire status by spending his 2023 winnings on supercars and other lavish things. Brecel prefers to commute between his home country and tournament locations and has previously had close calls with match timings before. During the World Championship in April, he cut it fine by arriving at the Crucible just hours before his second-round match against Ding Junhui, because he opted to fly into the UK on a private jet. Article continues below Brecel also nearly missed his first-round match at the Scottish Open a few years ago. Last season, Hammad Miah was given a 5-0 walkover during Xi'an Grand Prix qualifying when Brecel didn't show up in Leicester. Luca Brecel has endured a tough couple of years (Image: Getty ) The 30-year-old was subsequently ousted from the tournament without any prize money or ranking points. He has witnessed a significant downturn in form since clinching the World Championship title two years ago. Brecel became the first player from mainland Europe to become a world champion when he stunned Mark Selby at the Crucible with an 18-15 triumph. However, the former World No. 2 has since plummeted to 39th in the global rankings and shed the £500,000 in ranking points he secured with his 2023 triumph. Earlier this year, Brecel expressed his disinterest in chasing another world championship, stating he is prioritising entertaining crowds over titles. He said: "I've not really thought about the possibility of winning a second world title. I'm not that interested in it. If it happens it happens, but if it doesn't, then it's all good. I just don't really think a lot about winning tournaments and stuff like that. Brecel's opponent was handed a walkover (Image: Getty ) Article continues below "I just like playing the game. I'm more of a Ronaldinho type of player in snooker. It's all about just entertaining and [having] fun. Also having a nice life around it, that's more important to me! So yeah, no pressure." Not long after winning the world title, Brecel revealed his lavish spending habits saw him lose his millionaire status. He burned through his chequebook by spending hundreds of thousands on a Ferrari 488, BMW M4, Range Rover Sport and even a Porsche Taycan for his partner at the time, Laura Vanoverberghe.
Daily Mail
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Snooker party boy no-shows at major tournament as he holidays with new girlfriend instead
An active Snooker World Championship-winning player raised eyebrows after failing to turn up to the first tournament of the new season on Sunday. He was instead pictured with his new girlfriend in a picture posted to Instagram over the weekend just hours before his match was due to begin. Another snap saw the pair tucking into pizzas, with two wine glasses also visible on the table. Luca Brecel opted to skip qualifying at the Wuhan Open in China, where he was scheduled to face Pakistan's Haris Tahir, to spend time with his partner Shawney Demuyter instead. Brecel, 30, won the Snooker World Championship at The Crucible in Sheffield in 2023 with victory over Mark Selby. However, his failure to show up to qualifying in Wuhan saw him having to forfeit the match 5-0. As a result, Brecel will not be allowed to compete at the event - which takes place in the final week of August - and sees him miss out on a winners' prize of £140,000. The Belgian was a notable absentee among a host of recognisable names to have appeared in qualifying, with the likes of John Higgins, Shaun Murphy and Mark Williams all opting to play. Since winning the world title just over two years ago, Brecel has endured a dip in form that has seen him drop to 39th in the world rankings. He has also been open about how he felt under 'a bit of pressure' to perform more consistently after winning snooker's biggest prize. Speaking to The Sun after winning the tournament in 2023, he said: 'I bought two more cars this week, so I went from a millionaire to a non-millionaire. 'It was a conscious decision to buy the cars and maybe feel that bit of pressure again, to recreate the feeling I had of just starting my career.' Brecel has previously shared pictures onto his social media accounts of his Ferrari 488, worth an estimated £350,000. He's also enjoyed trips around the globe and recently admitted that he and his partner have visited '14 countries in four months' as he enjoyed his winnings. During one trip to Dubai, Brecel shared multiple snaps of the couple at high-end restaurant Hakkasan - where dishes can cost up to £300. In the same interview, the 28-year-old also admitted that he's been facing problems with his mindset, as he claimed: 'I didn't go lazy, but I just didn't feel that hunger or motivation going from tournament to tournament. 'I don't like that feeling and I had to change something. I wasn't feeling any pressure any more. I was just playing and if I lost I was happy to be home. It's not a good mindset to have.'
The Irish Sun
22-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Irish Sun
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 3 Luca Brecel has missed the first day of the new season Credit: Getty 3 Brecel was a no-show in Leicester - and appeared to be out of the country with his new flame Shawney Demuyter Credit: Instagram 3 The 2023 world champion swapped the baize for pizza Credit: Instagram 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. READ MORE ON SNOOKER On Saturday, he posted images of himself with his reported new girlfriend Shawney Demuyter 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. Most read in Snooker BEST ONLINE CASINOS - TOP SITES IN THE UK Former world champions 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. BBC commentator spots moment Luca Brecel apologises to Judd Trump during epic World Snooker Championship quarter-final 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.
