Stephen Hendry has hailed Luca Brecel as a ‘genius’, after only recently criticising him ahead of the World Snooker Championship.
Belgian star Brecel is currently competing in the quarter-finals at this year’s Crucible showpiece, where he is bidding to steal back his crown after winning the event in 2023.
GettyStephen Hendry has been forced to eat his words when it comes to Luca Brecel[/caption]Since becoming world champion two years ago, the 30-year-old has failed to win another event, with his nonchalant approach to the sport angering snooker legend Hendry.
Brecel has previously likened his relaxed playing style and lifestyle to that of Brazilian football icon Ronaldinho.
Explaining his attitude, he said: “It’s all about just entertaining and fun and also having a nice life around it.”
His priorities were clear to see earlier in the week, when he revealed Arsenal star Leandro Trossard had helped him return to Sheffield in time for his second-round match after taking a private jet home to Majorca immediately after his opening round win.
This mentality couldn’t be more different from Hendry’s, who was renowned for his dedication to his craft throughout his record-breaking career.
It is perhaps no surprise therefore, that Brecel has drawn criticism from the seven-time world champion for his perceived lack of focus.
Speaking earlier in the season, Hendry said: “I honestly don’t know what he’s doing with his career.
“I haven’t got a clue. I see him a lot on Instagram, he’s riding his bike all over the place.
“He’s going out to dinners with his girlfriend, he seems to be having a lovely time.”
Brecel is currently facing off against Judd Trump for a place in the World Championship semi-finals, where he is leading 7-6.
Luca Brecel has impressed in his run to the quarter-finals of this year’s World Snooker ChampionshipVGC via Getty Hendry is tied with Ronnie O’Sullivan as the snooker player with the most world titles – retiring with sevenGetty Images - GettyAnd after seeing the 2023 world champion give the world number one a run for his money, it appears Hendry has performed a drastic U-turn on his previous comments.
During the BBC’s coverage of the event, the King of the Crucible heaped praise on Brecel for his exploits on the table.
He said of the Belgian cueist’s mindset: “Approaching the game in a way that no other player has, and still winning.
“I mean, if someone had told you back in the day that there’s going to be a player that comes on the scene later on and is going to approach it the way he does – and he’s still going to win the Worlds by the way – you’d have said no chance.
“Until I’d seen that person play, I’d have said: ‘No, he’s got no future in the game’. But when you see the way Luca Brecel can play, with his kind of preparation, he’s just a unique talent.”
Hendry continued: “He’s just fabulous to watch. He’s an absolute genius with a snooker cue, it’s what he was put on this earth to do.
Brecel is just three wins away from becoming a two-time world championGettyView Tweet: twitter.com/hashtag/HaloWorldChampionship?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
“He wants to do other things as well though, that’s the thing. But maybe if you took Luca and said: ‘Right, you’ve got to practice six hours a day’, he wouldn’t be the same player.
“He’s just an inspirational player.
“When he gets that inspiration, when he gets that buzz from snooker, you can’t stop watching him. He’s just brilliant.”
Brecel’s path to the last eight has seen him pull off a dramatic first-round comeback against Ryan Day, before beating former world number one Ding Junhui 13-4 in the second stage.
And it isn’t just Hendry who has now supported the maverick star’s approach, with current opponent Trump also leaping to his defence.
The Ace in the Pack said: “When I was 21 and came here, I thought the same as [Brecel].
2019 Crucible champion Trump leapt to the defence of his quarter final opponentGetty“I didn’t care, just go out and play snooker. I’ve seen a lot of comments saying that if he dedicated himself more, he’d be unbelievable, but he wouldn’t because of how carefree he is.
“He’s very happy with his life, I don’t think anyone can judge someone that’s happy off the table, I think that’s the most important thing.
“I’d like to see Luca keep that style of play up because even in the worst case, I was to lose, it’s nice to watch in the final.
“It’s good for snooker to have these different personalities.”
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