Luca Brecel and Noppon Saengkham will face one another within the first spherical of the World Snooker Championship in Sheffield.
Luca Brecel’s season thus far
There have been many quiet intervals for Brecel this season, however in flip there have been quite a lot of large highs too.
The Belgian Bullet burst into life in December with an impressive run to the ultimate of the UK Championship.
He would have been forgiven for feeling down after his defeat to Zhao Xintong in York, however the very subsequent week he duly entered and gained the Scottish Open.
These performances helped the 27 year-old qualify for the profitable Tour Championship, the place he ousted Judd Trump to succeed in the final 4.
Again within the high 16, Brecel will now look to interrupt additional floor by lastly profitable a match on the Crucible Theatre.
In 4 earlier makes an attempt he has at all times ended on the dropping aspect, together with in 2017 and 2019 when he succumbed to painful defeats in deciders.
Noppon Saengkham’s season thus far
It hasn’t been a powerful season for Saengkham, who represents one of many final good guys of the sport.
A run to the final 16 of the UK Championship was pretty much as good because it bought, though that was timed properly contemplating the additional rating factors obtainable in York.
Saengkham recorded two strong victories within the World Championship qualifiers, together with one towards latest Gibraltar Open champion Robert Milkins.
The 29 year-old has fared fairly properly on the Crucible previously too, reaching the second spherical in 2020 when he was agonisingly denied a quarter-final berth by Mark Selby in a final-frame decider.
Head-to-head
Brecel has performed Saengkham on 4 events, profitable the final three with an combination body rating of 16-3.
The decision
Saengkham can produce an honest stage on his day and will turn out to be a menace, particularly if issues get very shut given Brecel’s poor historical past in deciders right here.
The latter has had his points with the Crucible previously, however throughout this marketing campaign he has demonstrated a brand new stage of maturity on the baize.
This might lastly be the 12 months when he makes his mark in Sheffield.
Prediction: Luca Brecel 10-7 Noppon Saengkham
Wednesday, April twentieth – 7pm
Thursday, April twenty first – 1pm
Extra previews and predictions:
Kyren Wilson vs Ding Junhui
Judd Trump vs Hossein Vafaei
Jack Lisowski vs Matthew Stevens
John Higgins vs Thepchaiya Un-Nooh
Featured picture credit score: WST
