Luca Brecel, the world snooker champion, feels like himself again after losing a significant amount of weight.
The 29-year-old Belgian Bullet has had a significant decline in form since winning the Crucible last year. At the beginning of this season, he was unable to acquire a win.
But in recent weeks, things have started to turn around for him. Last week, he lost 5-2 to Ronnie O’Sullivan in the final of the inaugural Riyadh Season World Masters of Snooker, having advanced to the quarterfinals of the Welsh Open.
Before the Saudi Arabian tournament, Brecel gave a speech in which he discussed how his game has improved since getting back into shape. He told World Snooker, “I just needed to work on my fitness and stuff like that.”
“I feel great and shed a little weight. That, I believe, was the kind of adjustment I required to resume playing well. The sky seems to be the limit right now.”
Brecel had acknowledged going out to parties before the season’s main event, but he allowed himself to relax after winning the world title.
After receiving the £500,000 windfall, he had been spending lavishly and had revealed in November that he had lost his millionaire status by purchasing two additional automobiles.
“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,” he stated at the time. “I just didn’t feel that hunger or motivation as I moved from tournament to tournament—I didn’t get lazy.
“I have to make a change since I don’t enjoy that sensation. I was no longer under any pressure. I was just having fun, and I was glad to be back home even if I lost. It’s not a constructive way of thinking.”
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