World Champ Vanishes: Luca Brecel No-Shows Scottish Open Qualifier Amid Mysterious Health Crisis
Luca Brecel’s erratic start to the snooker season took another turn on Friday when he failed to appear for his Scottish Open qualifier against Steven Hallworth in Wigan. The 2023 world champion, who was scheduled to play at 4pm BST at Robin Park Leisure Centre, gave no prior indication of his withdrawal, allowing Hallworth to progress with a 4-0 walkover.
Brecel, once ranked world No. 2 but now down to 39th, has endured a disjointed and puzzling season marked by unexpected absences and inconsistency. The Belgian previously withdrew from his Wuhan Open qualifier in June and opted out of both the British Open and Saudi Arabia Masters. Just last month, he controversially quit midway through his Xi’an Grand Prix qualifier, citing cue problems while trailing Sunny Akani.
Despite these setbacks, Brecel did manage a solid showing at the English Open in Brentwood, reaching the quarter-finals before losing narrowly to Zhou Yuelong. He also earned a convincing 4-0 win over Liam Davies to qualify for next week’s Northern Ireland Open in Belfast, where he faces Stephen Maguire on Tuesday.
Amid mounting questions, Brecel has disclosed recent health struggles, stating he’s been battling unexplained physical fatigue and has consulted doctors nearly 20 times in recent months. “It’s not mental. I’m perfectly happy,” he told reporters. “It’s physical things in my body. Strange.”
As the snooker world watches the 2021 Scottish Open champion stumble through a season marred by uncertainty, Hallworth moves on to the final stages in Edinburgh this December. Meanwhile, Thepchaiya Un-Nooh impressed with a 144 break to book his spot, while Daniel Wells suffered a heavy defeat to Liam Pullen in a 4-0 loss.
Brecel’s next appearance in Belfast may offer some answers — or raise more questions.
