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| Venue: Crucible Theatre, Sheffield Dates: 15 April-1 May |
| Coverage: Watch live on BBC TV and Red Button with uninterrupted coverage on BBC iPlayer, the BBC Sport website and the BBC Sport app |
Luca Brecel opened up a 6-2 advantage over four-time champion Mark Selby in the World Championship final.
Brecel imposed his attacking style from the off, taking a first frame lasting under seven minutes with a 77 break and racing 3-0 ahead with a composed 90.
Selby got on the board with a 54 and also made a 62 to get back to 5-2.
However, Brecel, who made another half-century immediately after the interval, rounded off his fine start with a effortless run of 70.
It was one-way traffic for much of the opening session as Selby struggled to contain an opponent who has repeatedly stressed that he would look to avoid getting bogged down in a tactical affair with a player renowned for his exceptional safety play.
The prodigiously talented Brecel, 28, has won an army of admirers for his flamboyant style on his run to the final and showed no signs of nerves, with his laid back approach seeing him arrive at the Crucible barely five minutes before he was due to play.
A stunning pot on a long red set the tone for what was to follow, with a sluggish Selby perhaps still feeling the effects of the draining late-night finish to his semi-final victory over Mark Allen.
While Brecel played with a certain swagger and confidence, Selby got his first frame on the board with a little assistance after the three-time ranking event winner left a red hovering over the middle pocket.
Even though he took the seventh frame, Selby will be frustrated that some loose positional play or errant potting prevented him from coming out of the session better placed.
Selby is unlikely to be unduly concerned though, having also trailed at the same stage in three of his four world title wins – to Ronnie O’Sullivan (2014), John Higgins (2017) and Shaun Murphy (2021).
It was almost a perfect start for Brecel, who is aiming to become the first player from mainland Europe to win the world title and only the fourth non-British winner, alongside Canada’s Cliff Thorburn (1980), Republic of Ireland’s Ken Doherty (1997) and Australia’s Neil Robertson (2010).
The final resumes at 19:00 BST on Sunday, with two further sessions scheduled on Monday.
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By Steve Sutcliffe
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