Ko Ping Yi and Ko Ping Chang (Taka Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport)
Only 64 players remain after day three of the BetVictor 2024 UK Open Pool Championship at the Telford International Centre with Eklent Kaçi continuing his title defence into the single elimination stage live on broadcasters worldwide, including DAZN, Viaplay, and Sky Sports in the UK.
Kaçi secured his spot by defeating the Danish viking Mickey Krause with a solid 9-6 victory, joining top World Nineball Tour players like Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, Shane Van Boening, Fedor Gorst, and Joshua Filler in the last 64.
Tough matches for both Mosconi Cup captains, with Skyler Woodward making a terrific comeback winning 5 racks after being down 8-4. Meanwhile, Jayson Shaw narrowly secured his place, after capitalising on Besar Spanhiu missed a 6-9 combo at 7-7, allowing Shaw to execute a carom to win the rack and take back control.
Ko Pin Yi and Ko Ping Chung delivered dominant 9-3 victories side by side on tables one and two to secure their places, while Ko Ping Han fell short against Petr Urban, losing 8-7 and exiting the tournament.
Kledio Kaçi, brother of the defending champion, maintained his winning momentum with a convincing 9-2 win over Thorsten Hohmann from Germany. Carlo Biado also advanced to the last 64, dominating the table once more with a commanding 9-0 victory over Phuong Nam Pham.
James Aranas and the Austrian Trio Albin Ouschan, Mario He, and Max Lechner fell into the loser brackets but rallied in their ‘second chance’ matches to secure spots in tomorrow’s single elimination stage.
Snooker champion Garry Wilson clinched a tense 9-8 victory over two-time World Pool Masters champion David Alcaide, advancing further in the tournament. Alcaide moved into the losers’ qualification but failed to find redemption, losing to Tobias Bongers. Amongst the casualties on the third day were Ralf Souquet, Pia Filler, Sanjin Pehlivanovic, Moritz Neuhausen, and Karl Boyes.
Last 64 Draw
The Last 64 draw was done at the completion of play with the pick of the round including a tasty encounter between defending champion Eklent Kaçi and Mario He. Other stand out ties include Jayson Shaw against Tobias Bonger and Wiktor Zielinski against Alvin Anggito.
For the full draw and live rack-by-rack scoring will be available throughout the event at www.wntlivescores.com.
Wherever you are in the world, you will be able to catch the action with broadcasters globally and live on the Matchroom Pool and Multi Sport YouTube channels in selected territories and on Matchroom.Live. UK-based fans can see the final two days on Sky Sports with the opening four on Matchroom.Live and the Matchroom YouTube. Fans in the USA and Brazil will be able to watch all six days live on DAZN whilst those in Scandinavia, the Baltics, Poland, Netherlands, and Iceland can watch live on Viaplay.
Spectators will be able to catch the action live from the Telford International Centre throughout the week, with day tickets available from £22 and weekend passes for fans to take in the final two days for just £50.
Secure your ticket here
Mosconi Cup Captains Jayson Shaw and Skyler Woodward secured opening wins in dominant fashion at the BetVictor 2024 UK Open live on broadcasters worldwide, including DAZN, Viaplay, and Sky Sports in the UK
Shaw’s 9-1 triumph and Woodward’s 9-2 victory set the pace for top World Nineball Tour players like Albin Ouschan, David Alcaide, Aloysius Yapp, and Mortiz Neuhausen, who breezed through their opening matches to secure spots in the winners’ qualification bracket.
James ‘Dodong Diamond’ Aranas showcased his skill with back-to-back 9-2 victories, securing his spot amongst winners. Meanwhile, 2017 World Pool Championship winner Carlo Biado bounced back after dropping the first rack, rallying with a remarkable 9-rack win streak in the opening round. Biado continued his winning streak with a 9-6 victory over the Italian Daniele Corrieri to enter the winners’ qualification.
Six-time World Pool Masters champion Ralf Souquet started strong with a decisive 9-2 win but faced a tough challenge in his second match against Vietnam’s Bui Trong An from Vietnam, narrowly losing in a hill-hill battle. Misfortune continued for the highly rated Bosnian Sanjin Pehlivanovic, who despite sweeping the first match 9-0, stumbled in the second, suffering a 9-1 loss to Szymon Kural from Poland.
Snooker Scottish Open and Welsh Open champion Gary Wilson notched consecutive victories in his first day, clinching a hard-fought 9-7 win against Mubarak Al-Wahaibi. Wilson then engaged in a thrilling battle with British World Cup of Pool contender Elliott Sanderson, securing his second win after Sanderson missed the 9-ball at the hill.
Meanwhile, World Snooker Tour star Stuart Bingham faced a tough opening round against snooker ace Frazer Patrick, who capitalised on Bingham’s errors, controlling the table to secure a comfortable 9-0 victory. Although Bingham redeemed himself in his second match, he faced disappointment in his third and final match, narrowly losing 7-8 and being knocked out of the tournament.
Live rack-by-rack scoring will be available throughout the event at www.wntlivescores.com.
Wherever you are in the world, you will be able to catch the action with broadcasters globally and live on the Matchroom Pool and Multi Sport YouTube channels in selected territories and on Matchroom.Live. UK-based fans can see the final two days on Sky Sports with the opening four on Matchroom.Live and the Matchroom YouTube. Fans in the USA and Brazil will be able to watch all six days live on DAZN whilst those in Scandinavia, the Baltics, Poland, Netherlands, and Iceland can watch live on Viaplay.
Spectators will be able to catch the action live from the Telford International Centre throughout the week, with day tickets available from £22 and weekend passes for fans to take in the final two days for just £50.
Secure your ticket here
Oscar Dominguez wins loss-side three, three more in double-elimination to finish as runner-up
They call him “The Martian,” which, as best as we can figure, is in reference to his ‘other-worldly’ skills at the table. He’s been demonstrating those skills for a while now (about seven years, according to our records), but when Vietnam’s Duong Quoc Hoang prevented Shane Van Boening from defending his 2022 World Pool Championship title by eliminating him (double hill) in the 2023 event, and then, finished 5th, people started to notice. Though he cashed in a total of eight events, all over the world that year, including a 3rd place finish in last February’s Alfa Las Vegas Open, he didn’t win an event in what turned out to be his best recorded earnings year, to date.
In an international field of 104 that got together this past weekend (May 1-5) at McGoldrick’s Pool & Sports Bar in Glasgow, Scotland, Hoang got off to shaky start, losing his opening match to Taipei’s Ko Ping Han 10-7. He won the next five matches on the loss side to qualify for the event’s single-elimination, final 16 and then won four more to claim the title. This caused quite a stir in Vietnam, where reportedly (by Vietnam media) hundreds of thousands of people watched him win his first international title and the first international title won by a player from Vietnam.
Sacramento, California’s Oscar Dominguez, who (as far as we know) started earning cash payouts during the first term of George W. Bush (2003), didn’t attract as much (streaming) attention here in the US as Hoang did in Vietnam, but he made enough noise in finishing as the runner-up to attract the kind of international notice that accompanied Hoang’s defeat of Shane Van Boening a year ago.
The two of them came into the event ranked 42nd (Dominguez) and 44th (Hoang) on the World 9-Ball Tour rankings. They were playing ‘way above their pay grade,’ at least in World 9-Ball ranking terms, which measures success strictly in terms of finance. And wait’ll you hear the people they beat to get to the finals.
As Hoang was busy at work on the loss side of the double-elimination bracket, Dominguez was working on the winners’ side. For two matches, defeating UK’s Bash Maqsood 10-2 and Italy’s Francesco Candela 10-6. Then he ran into the #1 competitor in the World 9-Ball Tour rankings, Spain’s Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz, who defeated him 10-6.
Sanchez-Ruiz’ winners’ side run ended in the next round, when he was defeated by Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Sanjin Pehlivanovic 10-5.Joining Pehlivanovic in single-elimination from the winners’ side were David Alcaide, Joshua Filler, Thorsten Hohmann, Shane Van Boening, Tyler Styer, Aloysius Yapp and Fedor Gorst. In other words, (in order, as named) World 9-Ball-ranked competitors #19, #8, #6, #34, #2, #32, #10 and #3.
On the loss side, Hoang got his five-match, loss-side streak underway with a shutout over Jake-Dylan Newlove, an 8-2 win over Benji Buckley, an 8-3 win over Elliot Sanderson, and an 8-1 victory over Mustafa Alnar. Then, it started getting interesting when he and Carlo Biado fought to double hill before Hoang closed it out to meet up with the guy that his eventual opponent in the finals had sent over, Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz, who only had to win the single, loss-side match to get himself back on track in single-elimination. Didn’t happen, as #44 took down #1 10-7.
Dominguez had to win three to get back to single elimination. He did so by defeating Ko Ping Han 8-2, Dawud Qadir 8-4 and in the qualifying match, Japan’s Naoyuki Oi 10-6. Joining the two who’d be the last men standing, from the loss side, were Albania’s Eklent Kaci, Spain’s Jonas Souto, UK’s Jayson Shaw (who’d lost his opening match to Liu Ri Teng and defeated Karl Boyes to advance back), Albania’s Albin Ouschan, Taipei’s Ko Pin-Yi and the Netherlands Neils Feijen (last year’s addition to BCA’s Hall of Fame).
While neither Tyler Styer, Eklent Kaci, nor Ko Pin Yi would be considered ‘easy’ draws by any stretch of the imagination, it could be argued that Hoang had the softer, single-elimination path to the finals, because while Hoang was going through that gauntlet, Dominguez had to get through Josh Filler, Thorsten Hohmann and Jayson Shaw, whose ranking numbers, in total (45), are just three over Dominguez’ #42.
Hoang eliminated Styer 10-7, Kaci 10-5 and punched his ticket to the final with a double-hill, semifinal win over Ko Pin-Yi. Dominguez, more than likely taking a huge breath after every step along his path to the same destination, got into a double-hill tussle against Filler right off the bat (breath). Thorsten Hohmann stayed close, until Dominguez edged out in front near the end to win it 10-7 (another breath).
Anyone who has ever played against him or just watched Jayson Shaw play will tell you that he can be an intimidating opponent. He doesn’t try to throw you off stride by acting particularly aggressive. In fact, at times, he can look as though he’s ready for a nap. What settles into your head more than anything is the quick and decisive ways that he approaches the table, finds the shot he needs to make, gets down on it and pulls the trigger. In less time than it takes him to get onto his feet and get to the table. One shot after another; see it, get down and shoot, faster than you can say 1, 2, 3. Over and over. He’ll make an unforced position error every once in a while, but rarely makes a shot error. And again, if you’ve watched this, as competitor or spectator, you know that a significant or satisfying win will have him roaring like the MGM lion, only louder. And if all that doesn’t rattle your cage a bit, you might want to check yourself for a pulse.
By the same token, it wasn’t Dominguez first rodeo and over the years, he’s squared off against some of the best in the business. Shaw’s ‘routine’ appeared to have little effect, as Dominguez pulled out in front early and joined Hoang in the finals with a 10-5 win over Shaw in the other semifinal (another breath).
And then, the final. After working their way through some of the best competitors on the World 9-Ball Tour stage (they’d both defeated the WNT’s #1-ranked competitor, Sanchez-Ruiz), their match between each other had to offer Dominguez and Hoang a measure of relief. Not underestimating their opponent, but confident enough with their work to that point that they might actually have settled into enjoying themselves a bit. Relaxing, not when it got down to the business of shot-making, but just in the minute-by-minute reality of absorbing all that had gone before and paying attention to what was happening at the table.
It got close. One of those almost double-hill matches, with all the tension of double hill, minus the agonizing fact that after all the work that’s gone into a sizeable tournament, winning or losing has come down to a single game. There was a $6,000+ difference between 1st and 2nd place, so there was a lot at stake in the final match, although given what they’d gone through to get there, I suspect they both figured on ending up as ‘happy campers’ no matter how it turned out.
As he had done in all four of the single-elimination tournaments, Hoang came from behind to claim the final “W.” They traded racks to a 3-3 tie before Dominguez won five of the next six to take an 8-4 lead. Hoang took it over from there, winning it 10-8 to claim his first international title at the Jacoby Scottish Open. According to reports in Vietnamese media, Hoang raised his cue in celebration and later posted on social media “I made it.”
Ko Pin Yi makes history as the first defending champion in seven years to reach the quarter-final of the 2024 World Pool Masters after defeating David Alcaide in the opening round at Halle39 in Hildesheim, Germany, in partnership with local organiser Moltke Sports and host broadcaster Sky Sports.
Defending champion Ko Pin Yi faced two-time World Pool Masters champion David ‘El Matador’ Alcaide, who aimed to become the second player to win three titles in the tournament.
The opening rack saw Ko Pin Yi lose his lead after missing a 4-8 combo, swiftly executed by Alcaide. However, Alcaide made a crucial error in rack 3, failing to pot the 7 ball and subsequently losing the lead entirely. Seeking to capitalise on Pin Yi’s mistake in rack 10, Alcaide faced a dry break and missed the 3 ball in the following rack, allowing Ko Pin Yi to secure a 9-6 victory, marking the first time a defending champion has advanced through round one in seven years.
Reflecting on his performance following his victory, the defending champion said: “I’m very happy to win the first match because it was a tough contest; my opponent David Alcaide is very skilled.” Ko Pin Yi acknowledged that his adjustment in breaking allowed him to swiftly elevate his game, ultimately leading to his victory over El Matador.
Following in his brother’s footsteps, Ko Ping Chung, the 2023 US Open champion, delivered a masterclass against Polish rising star Wiktor Zielinski. The second rack saw the tournament’s second golden break, setting the tone for Ko’s dominant performance. This was swiftly followed by a remarkable jump shot on the 2 ball in rack 6, propelling Ko Ping Chung to secure his spot in tomorrow’s quarter-final with a commanding 9-2 victory.
The evening session kicked off with a thrilling rematch of last year’s first round, as WNT No.1 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz faced off against the ‘Dodong Diamond’, James Aranas. Like last year, Aranas surged ahead with a 2-0 lead, but Sanchez Ruiz quickly turned the tables, seizing control of the match. The momentum nearly shifted at rack 8 when Ruiz, despite pulling off an impressive positional shot from the 3-4 ball, miscued the 8 ball, giving Aranas a chance to edge closer to victory. However, Aranas stumbled with a dry break in rack 13, allowing ‘El Ferrari’ Ruiz to secure a 9-6 redemption victory over the Filipino cueist.
Superstar Fedor Gorst triumphed over Mario He, despite a setback when he accidentally hooked himself in rack 2. Undeterred by the early challenge, Gorst displayed clinical precision against the Austrian, executing a flawless 2-9 combo to reach the hill. He followed it up with an exceptional 3-8 combo, sealing his victory in round one. Gorst now sets his sights on the quarter-final, where he will face off against another Austrian contender, Albin Ouschan, tomorrow.
The evening concluded with an electrifying billiards showdown as Shane Van Boening went head-to-head with Duong Quoc Hoang, making his World Pool Masters debut. Luck seemed to favour Hoang in the early racks, granting him two remarkable flukes of the 2 ball and the 4 ball in rack 4, propelling the Vietnamese player to a 4-0 lead.
However, Van Boening staged a remarkable comeback after Hoang scratched on the break in rack 5, evening the score with a golden break in rack 7 and a fluked 9 ball after sinking the 2 ball in rack 9. Yet, fortune turned against the ‘South Dakota Kid’ in rack 11, as his attempt at a 6-9 combo resulted in a scratch in the same pocket, handing the lead back to Hoang.
Hoang reached the hill in rack 14, but Van Boening seized the opportunity when his opponent missed a routine 1-ball, allowing the American to force a hill-hill showdown. With nerves of steel, Van Boening maintained his composure, clinching victory in a gripping final rack and securing his place tomorrow.
The quarter-final of the World Pool Masters kick off from 12 pm CET tomorrow, with Joshua Killer Filler taking on Ko Ping Chung, ahead of defending champion Ko Pin Yi and WNT No.1 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz. The evening sees Albin Ouschan take on Fedor Gorst, ahead of Jayson Shaw and Shane Van Boening to complete the race to 10 quarterfinals.
Watch live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, DAZN in the USA, Spain, Italy, and Brazil as well as on Viaplay in the Netherlands, Poland, Scandinavia and the Baltics. If no broadcaster is available in your country, watch the action on Matchroom.Live. See where to watch in your country here
The 30th Anniversary of World Pool Masters will maintain last year’s most challenging format, with 16 players competing to take home a $40,000 share from an enticing $125,000 prize pool. Opening round ties will be Race to 9 with the Matchroom break box, magic-racking, and winner breaks in action, with the tournament stretching going to race to 10 for the quarter-finals, 11 for the semi-finals, and 13 for the final.
ABOUT WORLD NINEBALL TOUR
Introducing the World Nineball Tour (WNT), a game-changing initiative in professional pool. With a $5 million minimum prize fund and over 40 ranking events worldwide, the WNT heralds a new era for the sport. Committed to fairness, transparency, and commercial viability, the WNT offers players a clear path to success by providing opportunities to accrue World Nineball Ranking points and gain access to prestigious tournaments on the calendar.
The World Nineball Tour is delighted to announce the formation of the Reyes Cup, in partnership with Puyat Sports Inc. and Sky Sports as the broadcaster for the UK and Ireland; a brand-new Invitational event that will see Asia’s finest players take on Team Europe in year one of the event, October 17th-20th.
The inaugural Reyes Cup will be held in Manila, capital of the Philippines, in honour of pool’s greatest player and tournament namesake, Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes. A world champion and US Open Pool Championship winner, Reyes is widely regarded as the sport’s greatest-ever player, serving as inspiration for millions of pool fans across the globe. Partnering with Francisco Bustamante to form an all-time dream partnership, the Magician also won the World Cup of Pool for the Philippines in 2009.
The tournament will follow in the footsteps of the four-day team format of the prestigious Mosconi Cup, which celebrated its 30th anniversary at Alexandra Palace, London last December. Team Asia will be represented by the top-three ranked players from the World Nineball Rankings one-year list, with two additional wildcards selected by Team Asia captain.
Aloysius Yapp of Singapore currently tops the Race to the Reyes Cup for Team Asia after winning the International Open last October, with Mosconi Cup stalwart David Alcaide leading the charge for Team Europe.
Cut-offs for qualification for the Reyes Cup will occur in three stages, with one player announced for each team following the World Pool Championship in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the European Open in Fulda, Germany and the US Open Pool Championship in Atlantic City, USA. This will be in effect for both Team Asia and Team Europe with player rankings taken from the 2024 one-year list.
Mr Efren “Bata” Reyes said: “I am truly humbled and honored that Matchroom has chosen to name this prestigious event after me. The Efren Reyes Cup is not just a tournament; it’s a celebration of the sport we love, and I am excited to see the pool community come together for its first edition in the Philippines.”
Mr Aristeo “Putch” Puyat said: “The Efren Reyes Cup is not just a tournament; it’s a testament to the passion and dedication that Efren Reyes has brought to the world of pool. Teaming up with Matchroom Sports, we at Puyat Sports are thrilled to bring this event to our home country, further solidifying the Philippines’ status as a hub for billiards excellence.”
Matchroom Multi Sport CEO Emily Frazer added: “The Reyes Cup sees a dream become a reality. Thanks to our partners at Sky Sports, the 30-year success of the Mosconi Cup has paved the way to deliver this format to a global audience. Given the storied history the Philippines has on the sport, it is only right that we honour Efren in his home country. It was a privilege to welcome him and dear friend Putch Puyat to the Hanoi Open last year. Efren’s passion for the sport has been unwavering for over 50 years, he is the perfect figurehead for this tournament and our sport. I couldn’t be more delighted than to be working alongside such a legend and organisation in Puyat Sports.”
Venue and ticket details will be released in due course, with fans able to register for ticket alerts here.
ABOUT WORLD NINEBALL TOUR
Introducing the World Nineball Tour (WNT), a game-changing initiative in professional pool. With a $5 million minimum prize fund and over 40 ranking events worldwide, the WNT heralds a new era for the sport. Committed to fairness, transparency, and commercial viability, the WNT offers players a clear path to success by providing opportunities to accrue World Nineball Ranking points and gain access to prestigious tournaments on the calendar.
We are excited to unveil our latest cue series, the highly anticipated Champion Collection. This exclusive line of cues is dedicated to two acclaimed billiard players, David Alcaide and April Larson, who have left an indelible mark on the world of pool. Meticulously crafted with a seamless blend of expertise, artistry, and passion, the Champion Collection promises to elevate the playing experience to unprecedented heights.
First, we proudly present the David Alcaide Champion Collection. This collection pays homage to the continued legacy of the esteemed world champion, David Alcaide. Hand-crafted with the finest ebony and maple, this collection represents tradition, elegance, and family. Inspired by his profound love for his daughter, each cue features diamond inlays intricately placed throughout the cue, symbolizing the eternal bond between father and daughter. Available in a captivating array of ruby sparkle and turquoise inlay options, these cues pay homage to the vibrant colors of Spain and Alcaide’s distinctive style both on and off the table.
Next in line is the April Larson Champion Collection, a mesmerizing tribute to the remarkable talent and infectious spirit of the revered April Larson. Inspired by her playing cue in the retired Pechauer Camelot series, each cue in this exclusive collection embodies the essence of Larson’s journey to greatness, filled with grace, perseverance, and a touch of “Grinder” mentality. As a beacon of inspiration for junior players and young women alike, April’s joyful and energetic personality shines through in every aspect of this collection. Hand-crafted with precise attention to detail and infused with a sense of grace, this collection is designed to empower and inspire players of all ages and skill levels.
From the choice of materials to the design elements, each cue is tailored to enhance the performance and elevate the game of its respective player. With the Champion Collection, David Alcaide and April Larson continue to inspire players worldwide, pushing the standard of excellence Pechauer has provided to the industry on and off the table.
For more information about the Champion Collection and our esteemed champions, please visit our website at https://pechauer.com/champion-collection/
About J. Pechauer Custom Cues:
J. Pechauer Custom Cues has been supplying art and performance to the billiard community for over 60 years. Pechauer Cues was founded in 1963 and has since established itself as a trusted name in the world of cue manufacturing. As a family-owned and operated business with a forward-thinking approach, Pechauer Cues takes pride in delivering the highest quality American-made products around the globe. For more information about J. Pechauer Custom Cues, please visit pechauer.com.
Total prize fund is growing as the SBE contributes to prize fund from live streaming passes
As a matter of perspective, the 30th Annual Diamond Open 9-Ball Professional Players Championships at the Super Billiards Expo was at a ‘120 down, 8 to go’ juncture when the sun rose over the Greater Philadelphia Convention Center in Oaks, PA this morning (Sun., April 14). With a little bit of luck, it should be over before the sun goes down.
This may be the first tournament anywhere at which players are content to not know the payouts until the final day. That’s because the prize fund is growing, day by day. That is happening because Allen Hopkins’ Super Billliards Expo is contributing directly to the prize fund with a portion of every Streaming Pass purchased as the event goes on. The money-added to the prize fund has also grown with Sponsorship Opportunities and is currently at $24.5k. The total payouts as of 10:30 a.m. this morning was at $83,514. If you have an interest in any of the matches that remain, you’ll know that when you sign on to watch through the SBE Web site (link listed below), you’ll personally be contributing to what the top finishers are paid.
We noted in a report that appeared here on Friday that the 128 initial entrants “made for a diversified, skill-level field that blended upper-tier, regional tour players with some of the best in the world.” That dynamic has survived four winners’ side and five loss-side rounds of double elimination, along with one ‘in the money’ single-elimination round.
The final eight were an hour away from beginning their day as this report was being written and the eight will likely be down to the four semifinalists before somewhere between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m. (EST) this afternoon. The tour directors are playing the scheduling ‘close to their vest’ to allow for any long matches that could (and often do) delay progress. Their calculations incorporate opportunities for competitors to take a breath between the three remaining rounds; not a big one that might interrupt momentum or too short to be of any value. Just enough, combined with the uncertainty of match lengths to keep the balls rolling at a steady pace to the final.
Of the eight competitors who lost their opportunity to advance to single elimination in the last winners’ side qualification round, six of them chalked up a successful, single round on the loss side to join the final 16 from that side of the bracket. Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz, who’d lost his first match to Darren Appleton 11-9 in that last qualifying round, downed Eddie Abraham 11-5 on the loss side to join the final 16. He drew Michael Feliciano, who’d lost his winners’ side qualifying round to Jonas Souto Comino, the event’s defending champion.
Thorsten Hohmann, who’d lost to fellow countryman Moritz Neuhausen 11-8, returned from the loss side after defeating another fellow countryman; The Kaiser, Ralf Souquet 11-7. In the opening round of single-elimination, Hohmann drew Shaun Wilkie, who’d won three on the loss side, including an 11-7 victory over Jeremy Sossei to the join the final 16. David Alcaide, who’d been defeated by Shane Wolford 11-6 on the winners’ side, eliminated Jeffrey DeLuna on the loss side and joined the final 16, drawing Lukas Fracasso-Verner. Fracasso-Verner, who’d lost a double-hill match to Hohmann on the winners’ side, survived an opening, double-hill loss-side round to Raphael DaBreo before eliminating Rodney Morris 11-5 and Mika Immonen 11-9 to join the final 16.
Tyler Styer, who’d lost to Canada’s John Morra 11-5 on the winners’ side, defeated Cong Thanh Nguyen 11-6 on the loss side to join the final 16 party. Styer had the daunting task of facing Jayson Shaw in the opening, single-elimination round. Shaw had been defeated in the last winners’ side qualification round by BJ Ussery, Jr. 11-7 and on the loss side, ended the run of Earl “The Pearl” Strickland 11-7.
The opening round of single elimination got underway just after 9 p.m. on Saturday, with a number of intriguing matchups that reflected the ‘skill-level diversity of the field.’ Spain’s Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz, who topped the AZBilliards Money Leaderboard in 2022, dropped just a bit in 2023 (to #4) and is currently in the #7 spot, faced Filipino Michael Feliciano, who’s never been higher than #66 on that same list (his current position). To our knowledge, he has not recorded a major win, anywhere, so definitely the ‘underdog’ to Sanchez-Ruiz’ status as a ‘favorite.’ Last night, the ‘underdog’ sent the favorite ‘home,’ so to speak, 11-8.
In this morning’s opening round (ongoing), Feliciano drew Shaun Wilkie, a mid-Atlantic journeyman who was runner-up to Shane Van Boening at this event in 2008. Wilkie had joined the final 16 from the loss side and in the first, single-elimination round had eliminated Thorsten Hohmann, double hill. As of just after noon, Wilkie was leading Feliciano 5-3 in the quarterfinals.
Lukas Fracasso-Verner, who’d defeated David Alcaide 11-5 in the first single-elimination round was facing Jayson Shaw, who’d eliminated Tyler Styer 11-7 to reach him. Shaw was ahead 5-4.
Brandon Shuff eliminated Shane Wolford last night 11-9 and in the morning matchup, faced BJ Ussery, who’d previously defeated John Morra 11-9. Shuff was leading this morning action 4-3. Darren “Dynamite” Appleton, who’d spoiled defending champion Jonas Souto Comino’s shot at a second straight title with an 11-4 win last night, was facing Pijus Labutis, who’d previously defeated Moritz Neuhausen 11-8. Last heard, Labutis was ahead of Appleton 8-5.
Sanchez-Ruiz defeats The Pearl, as Kennedy/Shaw create drama that sends Kennedy over
It’s difficult at best, approaching impossible, to watch two pool matches at the same time. While you can certainly pay attention to more than one at a time, your divided attention has a way of missing some of the action. The modern technology of multiple screens offered by a streaming service exacerbates this problem because it makes shifting your attention from one screen to another that much easier. You end up doing it more and while you’ll certainly be able to track the score progress of multiple matches, you tend not to really ‘see’ any of them; the give and take between two competitors, the ebb and flow that defines individual games and match progress as it plays out over time. The basics of what makes a good pool match so much fun to watch in the first place.
So it was, that on Friday night (March 12), at the evening session of the 30th Annual Diamond Open 9-Ball Professional Players Championships at the Super Billiards Expo, in-person spectators and distant streamers had some tough choices to make. What to do when, for example, Earl Strickland and Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz are playing a match, while at the same time, Tommy Kennedy and Jayson Shaw are doing so a matter of a few feet away? And those were just two of the 16 matchups that got started at (or near) 9:15 p.m. last night.
The two most-likely-to-be-popular matches (a subjective opinion) are generally placed in front of the two risers that accommodate the Championship Arena’s seating capabilities. There are about 32 seats in each two-level riser. There are 11 folding tables that surround the arena, seating about four per table.
The ’feature’ match on the digitalpool streaming system with its visible scoring and commentary, was between Strickland and Sanchez-Ruiz, but you could choose to watch any of the other 15 matches, as long as you were willing to keep score yourself. Or, if you had an appropriate device, you could monitor the ‘live’ brackets on digitalpool.com, switching back and forth between streaming the match and the score. Tuning in to watch a match that doesn’t provide a score is almost pointless because a lot of a match’s inherent entertainment value derives from a spectator’s awareness of where the match is ‘at,’ so to speak, at any given moment; whether the competitors are tied or one is ‘on the hill’ or in the midst of three games in a row, or . .whatever.
Sanchez-Ruiz got out to an early 2-0 lead over Strickland that he never relinquished. By game 6, it was a four-point lead (5-1), by game 13, it was five points (9-4) and two games later, Sanchez-Ruiz closed it out at 11-4. Sanchez-Ruiz was scheduled to play at 4 p.m. today (Saturday) against Darren Appleton, who’d defeated Alex Osipov 11-9. The (Saturday) afternoon, winners’ side matches will put eight players into the 16-entrant, guaranteed money, single-elimination phase of the event. Strickland was scheduled to take on Bucky Souvanthong on the loss-side at 1:45 p.m.
The Kennedy/Shaw match was only a matter of feet away, next to the Strickland/Sanchez-Ruiz table, but closer to the opposite seating area. It offered some instantaneous drama as Kennedy, almost assuredly the ‘underdog’ in the matchup, got out to a 4-0 lead that by game #9 had become a five-point lead at 7-2. Shaw was literally and figuratively ‘cold’ at the outset.
“It was so cold,” he would comment after the match, “that I didn’t even want to be here. It was like 61 degrees, blowing on the back of your neck.”
The two offered distinct differences in ‘style.’ Shaw’s performance in a match is characterized by a very business-like attitude. When he’s at the table, there is no wasted energy. He finds his shot, aims and strokes in almost one movement that would reset a shot clock (not used at this event) before it counted down more than 10 seconds. Shaw doesn’t waste any energy when he steps away from the table either.He sits down and looks like one of those newer cars that shuts off the engine when it stops moving. Until he gets back up, he looks as though he could be waiting for a bus, idly wondering what he might want to order for dinner.
Kennedy’s ‘work’ is much more of a production. He spends as much time looking for (or at) a shot and deciding to get down on it than Shaw generally spends between getting up and getting back down. The amount of time Kennedy spends between getting down to take his shot and then actually taking it, will vary widely. Though rarely long enough to challenge a shot clock, his ‘routine’ at the tables tends to be more deliberate and thoughtful as he takes the time available to double-check things before finally letting the stroke go. He tends to ‘look’ more engaged when he’s waiting for his turn at the table.
Shaw got warmed up at the conclusion of Kennedy’s 7th game win. One game at a time, he kept chipping away at Kennedy’s lead. He banked the 9-ball into a hole to tie things up at 7-7, then took his first lead and added another at 9-7. Kennedy took advantage of a ready-made combo on the 9-ball to come back to within one, but Shaw came right back to reach the hill. Kennedy got within one a second time, but Shaw finished it 11-9.
At 4 p.m. today (Saturday), Shaw is scheduled to face BJ Ussery, Jr., who defeated Sam Henderson 11-7 last night. Kennedy moved to the loss side and at 4 p.m., will take on Wiktor Zielinski.
Featuring a range of Fargo Rates from 495 (Eric Martin) to 841 (Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz), the 30th Annual 2024 Diamond Open at the Super Billiards Expo in Oaks, PA got underway yesterday (Thurs., April 11). Of the 118 competitors, who (literally) got the ball(s) rolling on Thursday morning, 29 of them entered the event without a (reported) Fargo Rate, leaving 89 competitors with an average Fargo rate of just under 700. The ‘700’ range had the most players (49), with unrated (29), ‘600’ (25), ‘500’ (8) ‘800’ (4) and a lone ‘400.’
It made for a diversified field that blended upper-tier, regional tour players with some of the best in the world, like Sanchez-Ruiz, Jayson Shaw, David Alcaide, Thorsten Hohmann and Wiktor Zielinski (to name just a few). Though there weren’t a lot of surprises in the opening two rounds on the winners’ side of the bracket, there were a few compelling matches.
Earl Strickland (772) got by his first opponent, Gary Serrano (618) readily enough 11-5 in the opening round, but had a local competitor, Kevin Clark (716), who’d shut out his first opponent, throw him a double-hill scare in the second round. Joss Tour veteran and winner of the 2023 New England Pool & Billiards Hall of Fame 9-Ball Open, Jeremy Sossei, sent this year’s US 8-Ball Open and McDermott Classic Champion, Poland’s Wiktor Zielinski to the loss side 11-8.
US Open 9-Ball Champion (1992), Tommy Kennedy brought his (Corrected) 735 Fargo Rate to the table and defeated two ‘698’s in a row; Jimmy Rivera and Matt Krah. In a marquee match-up promoted on the SBE Web site, Darren “Dynamite” Appleton defeated Johnny “The Scorpion” Archer 11-8 in the opening round. Jeffrey DeLuna gave up just a single rack in his first two matches. Jason Shaw, who played his first match at 11:30 p.m. last night (Thursday), had his opponent open by dropping the 9-ball on the break, but recovered nicely to win 11-6.
Thorsten Hohmann, Jeremy Seaman fight representative battle for winners’ side advancement
Arguably, most indicative of the skill-level(s) caliber of play at this year’s Diamond Open, and the relative unpredictability of any handicapping system in the world of pool was a second round match between a journeyman competitor from Battle Creek, MI – Jeremy Seaman (762), who’s been cashing in events all over the US map since 2003, though, as far we know, has never won an event – and World Champion Thorsten Hohmann (789), whose career started two years earlier than Seaman’s.
Hohmann opened the race to 11 with a win off Seaman’s break and broke and ran his own rack for a quick 2-0 lead; ‘off to the races,’ you’d think, but not so fast. Seaman won a rack and Hohmann added two to make 4-1. Seaman won two to pull within one and Hohmann chalked up another to make it 5-3. At that point, Seaman stepped to the table and chalked up three in a row to tie and then take a lead at 6-5. It proved to be the longest run of racks in the match. The two traded racks, back and forth, to a 7-7 tie when, off his own break, Seaman ran to the 8-ball, which stubbornly rattled in a corner pocket and did not fall. Hohmann took the 8-7 lead.
Hohmann dropped two on his break in Rack 16, but scratched. Seaman ran the table to tie it up again and broke Rack 17. He did not, however, win it. Hohmann, at a critical juncture, took the lead 9-8 and on his break, reached the hill, ahead by two. Seaman came back to win the 19th rack, setting up the fateful last rack of the match at which Hohmann broke dry. They chased the 1-ball for what seemed like ages before Seaman broke through, advancing to the 6-ball, at which point he made a critical unforced error that cost him the game and the match, as Hohmann closed it out.
And in so doing, provided a generalized answer to the question “Which of the upcoming matches should I watch, either in person, or via digitalpool streaming?” Answer: Any of them.
All of the Diamond Open matches on Opening Day were winners’ side matches, allowing that side of the bracket to get through two rounds. As a result, the winners from yesterday will not be competing until this evening (Friday), beginning at around 9:15 p.m.
Dependent on the timely advance of both sides of the bracket, there may be 11:30, winners’ side matches or they may just bring the 16 competitors looking to advance to single elimination back on Saturday.
The draw for the 30th Anniversary of World Pool Masters has been made with defending champion Ko Pin Yi set to meet David Alcaide in the opening match of the tournament from April 25-28 2024 at Halle39, in Hildesheim, Germany in partnership with local organiser Moltke Sports and host broadcaster Sky Sports.
World Pool Masters will maintain last year’s most challenging format, with 16 players competing to take home a $40,000 share from an enticing $125,000 prize pool. Opening round ties will be Race to 9 with the Matchroom break box, magic-racking, and winner breaks in action with the tournament stretching going to race to 10 for the quarter finals, 11 for the semi-finals, and 13 for the final.
The top 14 players from the World Nineball Tour Rankings following the FSR91 Open received invitations, plus two wildcard entries. The players ranked 1-8 were seeded and paired against the remaining players in the draw, which was conducted two weeks prior to the opening matches.
Defending champion Ko Pin Yi will meet ‘El Matador’ David Alcaide in the first round, while World Champion and WNT No.1 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz faces wild card James Aranas once again in the tournament after last year’s opening round encounter. Shane Van Boening, the only player to ever win the title back-to-back, seeks redemption as he faces Duong Quoc Hoang, who knocked out the ‘South Dakota Kid’ in last year’s World Champions. Whichever of the two secures the win will be expected to face the victor of Jayson ‘Eagle Eye’ Shaw vs Singapore’s Aloysius Yapp.
Adding to the excitement, Albin Ouschan will face former World Cup of Pool teammate Max Lechner in a battle of the Austrians. The winner of that tie will then have to take on either WNT No.2 Fedor Gorst or ‘The Panda’ Mario He. The winner between Joshua Filler and Eklent Kaçi, who will reunite following their clash in last year’s UK Open final, will either compete against Wiktor Zielinski or defending US Open champion Ko Ping Chung, to complete the opening round match-ups.
In partnership with local organiser Moltke Sports, the 2024 World Pool Masters is live globally wherever fans are in the world including Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, DAZN in the USA, Brazil, Spain and Italy as well as on Viaplay in Scandinavia, the Baltics, Netherlands, Poland, and Matchroom.Live in selected territories.
Broadcaster List
AMC Network – Hungary
Dazn – USA, Brazil, Spain, Italy
Foxtel – Australia
Nova – Czech Republic & Slovakia
Sky Network – New Zealand
Sportklub – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia
Sportscast – Indonesia & Chinese Taipei
Supersport – South Africa & Africa
Tap – Philippines
Viaplay – Baltics, Scandinavia, Netherlands, Poland, and Iceland
