Dave Gilbert thinks that the snooker authorities have not given enough attention to the world champion since his Crucible victory, and he believes that some less-deserving players are being promoted more than Luca Brecel.
The two will play in the opening round of the World Championship, with their match taking place this Saturday.
On Wednesday, Gilbert successfully came through qualifying by defeating David Lilley and Xiao Guodong, and has been matched up against the defending champ.
Before knowing the draw, Gilbert was asked if Brecel’s unexpected victory last year was an inspiration for him, and he passionately spoke in support of the Belgian Bullet.
The Englishman admires what Brecel achieved 12 months ago and feels that the World Snooker Tour has not given him enough credit.
‘People forget Luca had won three or four big comps before that. You are all hyping (Jack) Lisowski every day and the guy hasn’t even won it,’ Gilbert said.
‘He gets more coverage than Luca still. I find it unbelievable how World Snooker gives Lisowski so much focus. I like Jack. He’s a great player and enjoyable to watch. But we have a boy, who is the loveliest kid in the world, he has maximum flair. He spends all his money. Lives like a playboy. He plays the game how kids want to play. He should be the main focus of everything.
‘I don’t watch snooker but I watched that World Championship. I have never really sat and watched snooker. Certainly not for that two weeks. I bombed out on the Sunday morning, absolutely shocking. My mate said, ‘I am going to make you watch this for two weeks.’
‘What Luca did last year was by far the greatest snooker thing I have ever seen. It was incredible. Well done.
‘The next comp I saw him, maybe August, I don’t know Luca, but I had to go up to him and tell him he was amazing. Fair play to him. It was just unbelievable. He beat the best players. He beat a kid [Si Jiahui] from far behind. How did that even happen? He did it his way and it was brilliant to see.’
The 42-year-old was asked if Brecel’s impressive run in Sheffield motivated him to try and do the same, but instead he wanted to continue emphasizing his point.
‘I’d love moments like that, but I don’t have Luca’s power,’ he said. ‘If I had his money, I could probably spend the same levels as him!
‘Maximum flair, the kid is amazing for snooker. How World Snooker haven’t made that boy the main focus for every comp this year, I have no idea.
‘That is nothing against Jack or anyone else. I am looking at the table here [by his chair during a match], I put some water on it, and I put it on the face of this lad. I didn’t know who he was.
‘The little Shaun Murphy lookalike. Stan Moody. Nothing against Stan, but what are World Snooker doing? How is the kid on a picture of all champions? I didn’t even know who he was. Luca Brecel is the boy.’
When asked about Gilbert’s claims, WST said that they feature many players in their content, especially focusing on the best emerging talent. Last summer, they invested a lot in a special feature on Luca Brecel, which included an interview inside his Ferrari. Belgium, including an interview inside his Ferrari.
They have published many other pieces about Brecel throughout the season, including interviews and highlight videos, and he is the main focus of their artwork for the Cazoo World Championship.
Gilbert, a Crucible semi-finalist in 2019, was asked about his preferred draw before it was made on Thursday morning and all he wanted to avoid was Ronnie O’Sullivan and a 10am start on Saturday.
He got one, but not the other.
‘I am not going to talk about Ronnie O’Sullivan. I am tired of playing against him,’ he said. ‘I think I have played against him two or three times in the first round. It’s a disaster. I played well and still got beaten. I don’t want that. I kept getting this 10am session during the first weekend. It’s a bad deal. I need to relax for a few days, hit the gym.
I don’t mind the afternoons, I keep getting these 10am starts. You don’t even feel part of the Crucible. Unless you are the defending champion, you don’t want to be there Saturday morning 10am, it’s a terrible time.’
It’s not all bad though, far from it, with Gilbert actually feeling very positive about his game at the moment, as he showed with his impressive performances in qualifying.
‘The last four weeks I have hit more snooker balls than in two years probably,’ he said. ‘I have been playing a lot better but you don’t know what you are doing unless you get some matches under your belt. I played well, worked hard, made some nice finishes. I am looking forward to going to the Crucible now.
I am all about moving forward now. I have been stuck in the mud a bit. It’s time to get going again.’
‘What Luca did last year was by far the greatest snooker thing I have ever seen.’
.
