Luca Brecel beats Mark Selby to claim historic World Championship title
In an incident-packed final, Brecel took a 16-10 lead but lost the next five frames in a row as Selby fought back - scoring 315 points without reply - to setup a nervous finale.
The 28-year-old had never previously won a match at the tournament before this year's edition while Selby became the first player to score a maximum 147 break in a world championship final.
"It's amazing, I can't see any more, I don't know why," Brecel told the BBC.
"So tough, he (Selby) is the worst opponent to have in a final, he just keeps coming back, he's such a fighter. When it was 16-15 I didn't fancy winning at all, I was missing balls by a mile but then I made a good break."
The 'Belgian Bullet' had already proved himself a worthy champion before the final.
He won seven straight frames to beat seven-time world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan in the last eight, with Brecel then reeling off 11 in a row from 14-5 down to beat China's Si Jiahui 17-15 in the semi-finals.
Selby's 147 came on the 40th anniversary of Cliff Thorburn's landmark first maximum in any Crucible encounter.
His break was the 14th maximum in Crucible history and the second of this year's Championship after Kyren Wilson's first-round 147 against Ryan Day.
"It was great to make a 147 at the Crucible, never thought I would do it in a final, the atmosphere was amazing and something I will remember for rest of my life," the 39-year-old added.
"But it's not about me today, Luca played fantastic.
"Every time he potted a ball I fancied him to clear up but I battled - but every credit to Luca he deserves it."
"Congratulations to Luca, he's a great talent and a great lad, a great family. Enjoy the year, you deserve it mate, you played fantastic."
Brecel, who had famously lost in the first round on all of his five previous visits over 11 years, walks away with the £500,000 top prize and climbs to second in the world rankings behind Ronnie O’Sullivan.
His victory also meant he joined Canadian Cliff Thorburn (1980), the Republic of Ireland's Ken Doherty (1997) and Australian Neil Robertson (2010) as only the fourth modern-era world champion from outside the UK.