Luca Brecel defeats Ryan Day 10-7 at World Championship

Former world snooker champion Luca Brecel staged a dramatic comeback to defeat Ryan Day 10-7 in the first round of the 2025 World Championship at the Crucible in Sheffield, narrowly avoiding an early exit like other former champions. Brecel, who was down 5-1 in the first session, won the last three frames on Wednesday to close the gap and then overcame a century from Day to ultimately claim six of the next seven frames in a scrappy match. A crucial turning point came when Day potted the cue ball while on the black, handing Brecel the 16th frame. The victory marked only Brecel's second match win at the Crucible, outside of his 2023 title run when he became the first world champion from mainland Europe. He will face Ding Junhui in the next round. The so-called 'Crucible Curse,' which prevents first-time champions from repeating their success the following year, had previously struck Brecel in 2024 when he lost in the opening round.