The Final: Frame By Frame
Follow the Cazoo World Championship final between Mark Selby and Luca Brecel here, with updates after every frame…
Frame 33
LUCA BRECEL IS 2023 CAZOO WORLD CHAMPION! He does it in style with a break of 112, his fifth century of the match. The Belgian becomes the first player from mainland Europe to conquer the Crucible and only the fourth non-British player. A fantastic and historic match, in which Selby made the first 147 in a world final, but Brecel is the worthy winner. Congratulations Luca!
Final score: Selby 15-18 Brecel
Frame 32
Brecel stops Selby’s momentum. The Jester has first chance but pots just one red before missing the black, and his opponent responds with a cool 51. A massive fluke on a red gives Selby an opening to counter, but he then fails to pot the brown to centre, allowing Brecel to wrap it up. He’s on the brink of a life-changing victory now, while Selby must win the last three.
Selby 15-17 Brecel
Frame 31
We haven’t seen a Crucible final go the full distance since 2002, but this has the feeling of finishing 18-17 either way. Breaks of 43 and 52 for Selby and he’s within a single frame. Brecel hasn’t scored a point in the last three.
Selby 15-16 Brecel
Frame 30
Selby looks the stronger player now. He makes 50 before playing safe, his opponent badly misses a long red and he adds 31. Renowned for his determination, Selby is now in full ‘iron man’ mode.
Selby 14-16 Brecel
Frame 29
This could go down as one of the great finals and Selby is doing everything to make it an exciting finish. A break of 122, his third century of the final gives him a third frame in a row and he’s halfway to drawing level. Brecel has 20 minutes now in his dressing room to ponder the biggest night of his life.
Selby 13-16 Brecel
Frame 28
Gritty stuff from Selby – these are the type of frames he has to win now. Brecel leads 36-20 when he misses a tough pot on the penultimate red. There’s still a lot to do for Selby with the balls in awkward positions, but he takes the two reds and then clears to the pink. One more before the interval – if Selby takes it then the fight back is really on.
Selby 12-16 Brecel
Frame 27
For once, Brecel pushes the boat out and it doesn’t pay off. Actually it’s more like pushing out HMS Belfast as he goes for a long blue when he leads 15-0 but misses by a few inches and hands Selby the table. The Englishman makes 78 to reduce his deficit to five, It’s a long way back for Selby.
Selby 11-16 Brecel
Frame 26
Brecel carries on the way he finished the afternoon…potting balls. A cracking red sets up a break of 67 before he runs out of position with four reds left. Selby pots one, but then misses the next red and he’s six down with nine to play.
Selby 10-16 Brecel
Frame 25
Huge frame. Massive. Gargantuan. Selby desperately needed this one, but Brecel steals it to go five ahead with only ten to play. Selby leads 40-1 when he misses a red to a top corner, playing with the rest. Brecel claws his way back and it comes down to a safety tussle, with three reds left. Brecel lays a snooker to create a chance, and then pulls out a marvellous clearance. He’ll need just three more frames when they return at 7pm to become the first World Champion from mainland Europe.
Selby 10-15 Brecel
Frame 24
Is Brecel feeling the enormity of the situation yet? It doesn’t look that way. He strokes in a long red to initiate a brilliant 119, his fourth century of the session. Brecel’s ability to keep breaks going with difficult pots, when he looks to have run out of position, is reminiscent of Judd Trump at his best.
Selby 10-14 Brecel
Frame 23
The Selby fight-back gathers pace. Brecel makes 41 before under-cutting a tricky red to corner. Selby counters with 54 then plays safe on the last red. After a long tactical battle, Brecel’s attempted safety leaves the red over a baulk corner, and Selby adds the points needed to close to within three frames. Two more this afternoon…
Selby 10-13 Brecel
Frame 22
Could this be the turning point that Selby fans are looking for? He makes a break of 63, then Brecel fights back and gets the snooker he needs on the last red. Presented with a tough long pot on the red, Brecel goes for it and misses the baulk corner. After another safety exchange, Selby pots the red to win his first frame of the day.
Selby 9-13 Brecel
Frame 21
Another tremendous display of flamboyant potting from Brecel as he makes a 141 total clearance to make it four frames out of four so far today. Selby heads straight for the practice room during the interval, though if his opponent keeps playing like this then there won’t be much the four-time champion can do.
Selby 8-13 Brecel
Frame 20
Selby, badly needing a foothold, leads 35-0 when he misses a red to centre. Again Brecel punishes him with a brilliant 101, which includes a double on the last red to a centre pocket to secure the frame. This is magnificent stuff from Brecel.
Selby 8-12 Brecel
Frame 19
An early break of 43 puts Brecel in control, and he gets back in with an excellent long red, adding 29 to secure the frame. The 28-year-old Belgian is showing no signs of nerves so far. He is just seven frames away from snooker’s biggest title and a £500,000 top prize.
Selby 8-11 Brecel
Frame 18
Brecel lost the last three frames on Sunday evening, but he’s off to a fantastic start today. Selby has a chance for 9-9, but overcuts a tricky red to a top corner at 24-0. Brecel responds with a superb 113 (his first century of the final) and he’s off and running. Remember they play eight frames in this session, with the balance to follow from 7pm.
Selby 8-10 Brecel
Frame 17
After the amazing drama of the previous frame, Selby keeps his focus and crucially nicks the last of the day to trail by just one overnight. Brecel has his chance but misses a red to corner at 48-0. He later makes a cavalier attempt to escape from a snooker on the yellow, but leaves it over a centre pocket and Selby clears. A fascinating day of play comes to an end with Selby in the ascendency and with a new piece of history to his name….but Brecel is still ahead. We’re back at 1pm on Monday for eight more frames of what is developing into a classic final.
Selby 8-9 Brecel
Frame 16
Wow wow wow! Selby becomes the first player to make a 147 in the world final! He is barely out of position throughout the break as he takes 15 reds with blacks and clears the colours. Joyous scenes as the two players, referee Brendan Moore and the crowd all celebrate. This moment will go down in Crucible history.
Selby 7-9 Brecel
Frame 15
The high scoring continues as Brecel misses an attempted long red, leaves the same red to a centre pocket, and Selby steps up with a break of 61 to narrow the gap. Let’s not forget he has recovered bigger deficits in two of his previous final victories – in 2014 he was 10-5 down to Ronnie O’Sullivan, and in 2017 he trailed John Higgins 10-4.
Selby 6-9 Brecel
Frame 14
Keane as mustard: Roy enjoying the view from the Crucible balcony
Selby leads 19-0 when he attempts a difficult long pink to a baulk corner, but it rattles in the jaws. Brecel’s ability to fashion frame-winning breaks from improbable positions is a joy to behold, and he puts together a run of 67 to go four frames ahead. He is now sure of an overnight lead – and he’s half way to the magic number of 18.
Selby 5-9 Brecel
Frame 13
Marvellous stuff from Brecel, reminiscent of the conclusion to his match against Ronnie O’Sullivan when every attempted pot seemed to thump the back of the pocket. A cracking red to centre sets up a break of 72 as he regains the initiative.
Selby 5-8 Brecel
Frame 12
A safety exchange on the last red is resolved when Brecel leaves it close to a centre pocket. Selby, down 50-41, makes a pressure clearance, including a tough pot on the green with the rest. He has won two consecutive frames for the first time in the final and he’ll be feeling good during the mid-session interval.
Selby 5-7 Brecel
Frame 11
The standard has moved up a notch; the three highest breaks of the match have come in the last three frames. Brecel has an early opportunity but misses a red to top corner on 12, and Selby punishes him with 96. Remember they will play nine frames in total tonight, so Brecel must win two more to guarantee an overnight lead.
Selby 4-7 Brecel
Frame ten
Selby’s chance to build momentum with a run of frames ends quickly. He makes only 14 from a clear scoring chance before missing a difficult red to a top corner. Brecel delights the crowd with a series of flamboyant shots during a lovely break of 99.
Selby 3-7 Brecel
Frame nine
Perfect start to the evening session from Selby as he pounces on a safety error from Brecel and makes a 134 total clearance. Roy Keane is among the crowd tonight. His advice to Selby would probably be “do your job.”
Selby 3-6 Brecel
Frame eight
First chance for Selby, but he makes only 6 before missing a mid-range red to a top corner. Brecel’s opening red which smashes the pack open is aesthetically pleasing and highly effective as it sets him up for a break of 70 which gives him a four frame cushion. It’s a tremendous opening session from Brecel. They resume at 7pm and Selby will need seven of the nine frames if he is to lead overnight.
Selby 2-6 Brecel
Frame seven
A sizzling long red from Selby sets him up for a break of 62, his highest of the match so far. He misses the black with four reds left, but Brecel’s hopes of playing for snookers end when he pots a red but misses a difficult black.
Selby 2-5 Brecel
Frame six
Chances for both players, but neither can kill it off, and it comes down to a lengthy tactical exchange on the blue, with Brecel up 66-49. For once, Selby’s safety is imprecise, as he leaves his opponent the chance of a thin snick to a baulk corner. Brecel goes for it (of course) and it looks at first as if he has over-cut the blue, but it teeters in the jaws of the pocket then drops into the void. Two more to go in this session and Selby will feel he needs them both.
Selby 1-5 Brecel
Frame five
Selby misses a tough long red to a baulk corner early in frame, forced to play a slight swerve, and Brecel steps in with a fine run of 67. Selby tries to play for snookers but Brecel responds by potting the last red from distance. His attacking approach is working well so far.
Selby 1-4 Brecel
Frame four
An early turning point? Brecel has a chance to go 4-0 ahead if he can clear from 40-0 down, but on 38, with the balls at his mercy, the Belgian misses a red to centre. Selby makes him pay with a 54 clearance and he’s on the board. That red must be on Brecel’s mind as he heads to the dressing rooms for the interval.
Selby 1-3 Brecel
Frame three
Selby has a clear chance to get one on the board, but makes only 28 before under-cutting the black to a top corner. Brecel converts a fantastic pot on a red to a top corner and goes on to make 90 to extend his lead. Four-time Crucible king Selby is on the ropes. Who predicted this start?
Selby 0-3 Brecel
Frame two
Two misses from Selby early in the frame – one on the brown and one on the black – allow Brecel to build a 66-6 lead. Selby claws his way back to within 36 points on the last red then traps his opponent behind the black to gain the required penalty points. After a long game of cat and mouse on the red, Selby flicks in a cracking pot to a baulk corner, but doesn’t gain position then missed a tough long blue. Brecel doubles the yellow and he’s two ahead.
Selby 0-2 Brecel
Frame one
Brecel said after his semi-final victory that he would just come out and enjoy the final with no expectations. And if the first frame is anything to go by, he’ll have plenty of fun. A fluked red sets him up for a rapid break of 77 to go 1-0 ahead after just six minutes.
Selby 0-1 Brecel