Luca Brecel secured his place in the UK Championship final with a 6-4 victory over Kyren Wilson, but admitted he nearly missed his fourth-round match after getting stuck in the toilet of his rented flat in York. The Belgian, who fired four centuries in his semi-final win, revealed he was trapped for 10 minutes before eventually escaping and rushing to the venue.
“I was in the apartment and I just locked myself out – I locked the door of the toilet. I didn’t know how to open it and I thought: ‘Oh God, I’m locked in,’” Brecel said. Despite the panic, he beat Anthony Hamilton 6-1 in that earlier match, joking he could have stayed longer.
Brecel will face China’s Zhao Xintong in the final, after Zhao defeated Barry Hawkins 6-1 in the other semi-final. If Brecel wins, he will become the first player from continental Europe to secure a Triple Crown title. Zhao, who fired a century and five breaks over 70, said: “It’s my first time in the final and it’s very important for me to try my best.”
Brecel, the youngest player to reach the World Championship in 2012, produced a stunning display against Wilson, opening with a 130 clearance and adding three more centuries. Wilson, who had beaten Ronnie O’Sullivan in the quarter-finals, could only watch as Brecel pulled away. “It feels incredible to put up a performance like that in such a big game,” Brecel said. “If I play like that again in the final I don’t think I’m beatable.”
