𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Former champion Luca Brecel revealed he always felt he was going to fight back against Ryan Day after overcoming a big early deficit to book a last-16 clash with Ding Junhui at the World Snooker Championship.

The 2023 world champion appeared to be in danger of joining last year’s winner Kyren Wilson in crashing out in the first round when he found himself 5-1 down to Welshman Day during the first session.

But the Belgian won the final three frames on Wednesday to make it 5-4 and get himself right back in the match.

A century from Day in the opening frame of the second session put Brecel on the back foot once again but he won three successive frames twice more on Thursday afternoon to close out a 10-7 victory.

Brecel, who won the tournament on the last occasion he made it through the first round in Sheffield, said: “I didn’t really get many chances before 5-1 and then I had a good one, made a century and I felt good.

“I never really panic, especially here as it’s so long.

“I’ve made so many comebacks here so it wasn’t surprising. I always felt like I was going to come back at some point.

“From 5-3 down I sort of felt that I couldn’t really lose – no disrespect to Ryan because we all know what he’s capable of. But I felt so relaxed and I could see he was a bit nervous.

“The way I play means everything needs to work and I’m too lazy to change the way I play. So if it doesn’t work then I go home, and we’ll see.”

Brecel arrived at the Crucible with a new tip, which he felt held him back in the first session.

He added: “I have a new tip, which I didn’t play with, and that was sort of the problem in the first session. Just not used to it at all.

“I guess I need some more time with it. In the balls it was much better today but from distance I’m still guessing.”

Following his defeat, Day said: “I kind of probably let it slip a little bit yesterday afternoon but I didn’t really feel comfortable and my game’s not like it once was.

“Even with a 5-1 lead you’re kind of always looking over your shoulder rather than pushing forward, the way I’m feeling.

“I’m not overly confident. I’m definitely not the player I once was and I’ve come to terms with it a bit.”

Meanwhile England’s Chris Wakelin made a lightning-quick start to his second-round match against Northern Irishman Mark Allen, racing into a 6-2 lead.

Four-time world champion John Higgins is locked at 4-4 with China’s Xiao Guodong after a nip-and-tuck start to their last-16 encounter.