European Tour 2 2013: Promising Youngsters Must Step Up

Snooker is desperately seeking a new youngster to burst onto the scene, someone who can capture the public’s imagination with audacious pots and carry the sport.

The European Tour 2’s Rotterdam event is the perfect stage for the game’s young guns to display their talents against the elite players.

The best-of-seven format creates an environment where the big names can get beaten, but unfortunately for the underdog-loving neutral, the majority of snooker’s stars made it through unscathed against their inferior opponents.

One player who was meant to take the snooker world by storm was Luca Brecel. The Belgian’s name first started being whispered on the snooker circuit when he became European under-19 champion at just 14 years old.

In the 2012 World Championships he became the youngest person to appear at the Crucible, breaking Stephen Hendry’s record from 1986, and put in a spirited performance against Stephen Maguire before losing 10-5.

He followed that mini-success up by reaching the quarterfinals of the UK Championship, where he was two pots away from beating Shaun Murphy.

But for all his success last season, Brecel still hasn’t established himself on the circuit despite clearly having the potential to become one of the game’s brightest talents.

No sooner had he started his match in Rotterdam than he found himself three frames behind against opponent Lee Page. He responded in fine fashion by making the two biggest breaks of the match, including a century in the fifth frame. He looked on course to secure a remarkable comeback.

But he made just 16 points in the sixth frame to hand Page the victory and a showdown with world number 16 Mark Davis.

The event was the perfect opportunity for Brecel to prove he should no longer be considered as an extra on the tour, and instead as one of the tournament favourites.

Whilst there is no rush for Brecel to make a name for himself, snooker is in need of some attacking youngsters in the mould of Judd Trump to shake up the circuit.

With Brecel struggling in 2013, the sport may have to turn elsewhere to find this generation’s successor to Ronnie O’Sullivan’s snooker throne.