Overview

• Brecel failed to appear for his Wuhan Open qualifier on June 22, giving Haris Tahir an uncontested 5-0 victory.
• Hours before the match, Brecel shared social media images of pizzas, wine and his new girlfriend, suggesting he was abroad.
• His forfeiture guarantees Brecel will miss the Wuhan Open in August and forego its top prize of about £140,000.
• Since winning the 2023 World Championship, Brecel’s form has dipped sharply and he has fallen to 39th in the world rankings.
• Brecel has publicly said he prefers entertaining fans and enjoying life over chasing further titles, comparing his style to Ronaldinho.