Does Pressel have a chance against snooker legend O’Sullivan? “Rooney plays mainly against himself. If frustrations prevail, there are certainly opportunities.” | More Sport

There will be no end to Luca Bressel’s (WS-10) fairy tale at the World Snooker Championships in Sheffield (UK) for now. And after victories over Englishman Ricky Walden (WS-23) and Welshman Mark Williams (WS-8), he will face Ronnie O’Sullivan (WS-3) in the quarterfinals, according to experts, one of the best snooker players. all times. Bjorn Hanifer, former snooker player and TV commentator for Eurosport, agrees as well. “As a seven-time world champion, O’Sullivan is a favorite in every match he starts. It’s especially difficult to beat him in long matches over several sessions. On top of that, he was very good against Iran’s Hossein Favaei in a match that was entirely accidental. (Vavay challenged the Englishman with an unexpected opening punch, editor.). If O’Sullivan plays at his best again, it will be difficult for Bressel.”

However, Hanifer certainly didn’t think our compatriot had a chance. “I absolutely think he can beat him. In head-to-head matches it might be 3-1 in O’Sullivan’s favour, but I think the odds are definitely fifty-fifty,” said the snooker commentator. “Luka has beaten Rooney before and he’s not afraid of him at all . He is also someone who becomes increasingly dangerous once he survives the first round of a tournament. We saw that at the UK Championships last year, where he ended up missing the final. Why can’t he do it again now? I will definitely give him a chance.”

In the run-up to Tuesday’s quarter-final clash, O’Sullivan called the 28-year-old Brissel “an exceptional player with tremendous talent”. He also praises his achievements in the rise of Belgian snooker which he says has “many strong players”. Does the “missile” fear our citizen? “No, not at all,” Hanifer resolutely. “For him, the quarter-finals of the World Cup is a matter of course Business as usual. Luca Pressell, Mark Williams, Mark Allen, Mark Selby… he really doesn’t care who he plays against. In fact, O’Sullivan is mainly playing against himself and that can be either good or bad. If frustrations prevail, there are certainly opportunities for Prisel.”

O’Sullivan likes to play at a fast tempo and is almost virtuoso. He always has an answer ready for hard putt balls. How can Bricel disable it? “By doing exactly the same thing,” Hanifer thinks. “Like Rooney, Luca can hit balls from any angle. That’s his great strength. He just has to fill in for long utensils; (A tall bowl, diagonally across the snooker table, with the cue ball landing in one of the opposite corner pockets, ed.) They dare to play offensively. He certainly shouldn’t turn down the shots he normally takes out of fear, because there’s no need for that. He just has to rely on his own strength. When things finally come close, he has to dare to make the right choices. This means: building more security and avoiding risky shots.

Pressel broke into the (world) top snooker game at just 16 years old. Bjorn Hanifer, until then the most successful snooker player in the country, already knew at the time that young Limburger would become the new Belgian snooker standard bearer. “We played against each other for five more years and I already knew what the right time was. At first I would beat it sometimes, but towards the end of my career there was no turf against it. By then I was already on the decline. (He laughs) It just got better and better and gave snooker in Belgium a new impetus. The wind was in his sails and he came on the world tour just in time (The most important professional snooker competition, ed.) justifiably.”

Haniver stresses that Precel certainly didn’t have an easy time early in his career. “At a very young age he was already playing in front of a large crowd at the Crucible. For a 16-year-old, that’s not obvious at all. You have to compete right away with the greatest men in the world, all with experience, in what counts as first place.” A mental sport.As an underpowered super talent, of course you’ll win a lot, but you’ll also lose a lot, because you’re not quite mentally prepared.But Luca has certainly developed into that over the years.

Now it’s been over ten years and Luca Bresil has become one of the top 16 players. Where are its limits? “The next step now is to win big trophies like the UK Championship or the World Cup. He already has some great trophies for his palms, so he’s definitely ready for that. Pressell has made great strides in recent years and he’s also good mentally. On top of that, he’s one One of the few, apart from the current top four, to have the qualities to finish in the big moments.“That’s a huge asset,” says the former snooker player.

Does Hanfir dare to predict that Bresil will become world champion this year? He laughs: “I dare say that for sure.” “But whether it actually happens is another thing. I certainly hope so and I am sure it is possible. If he passes O’Sullivan, I can see that happening.”