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
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.
2022 World Pool Masters champion Joshua Filler claimed redemption in the opening round of the 2024 edition at Halle39 in Hildesheim, Germany in partnership with local organiser Moltke Sports and host broadcaster Sky Sports.
The stakes were high for Filler as he entered this year’s event, following his early exit from last year’s World Pool Masters and his defeat to Kaçi in the final of the 2023 UK Open.
Kaci initially seized the lead in the opening racks, capitalising on Filler’s struggles with his long shots. However, the advantage was short-lived as the two players engaged in a back-and-forth battle. The momentum shifted when the score reached 6-6 in rack 12, with Filler showcasing his skill by strategically hooking Kaci behind the 6 ball. In an attempt to regain control, Kaci scratched the 3 ball, leading to Killer Filler dominating the final rounds and securing victory. This win marked Filler’s much-needed redemption, dashing Kaci’s hopes of a comeback and propelling Filler closer to his second World Pool Masters title.
Filler said: “The only thing that stays in my mind is the way I started; I couldn’t find a pocket. But I waited for my chances and luckily in the end it turned around. I started feeling good and I could feel the table better.”
The excitement of round one continued with the battle of the Austrians. Living up to his nickname “Smooth Operator,” Albin Ouschan demonstrated impeccable composure on the grey cloth as he navigated through the racks. However, at 7-0, his opponent Max Lechner secured his first rack after executing a trap that not only caused Albin to foul but also set up Lechner for a 1-9 combo to clinch the rack. Max continued to showcase his prowess with combinations, executing a 2-8-9 combo to win rack 13. Despite his efforts, Lechner faltered at rack 14, failing to pot the 3 ball and allowing Albin to secure victory in the race to 9.
The evening session concluded with a commanding performance from the 2023 Hanoi Open champion, Jayson Shaw, who faced off against the Singaporean cueist, Aloysius Yapp. Although Yapp secured the first rack, a scratch in the second rack opened the door for Shaw to take control, winning nine consecutive racks. The precision of ‘Eagle Eye’ Shaw was evident throughout his dominant display, showcasing an exceptional jump kick shot on the 4 ball in rack 3, followed by the tournament’s first golden break in rack 6, and a flawless 3-9 combo to reach the hill. Shaw’s stellar performance reached its pinnacle in a resounding 9-1 victory, bringing the evening session to a thrilling close.
The remaining Round 1 matches get underway from 12 pm CET tomorrow as defending champion Ko Pin Yi meets David ‘El Matador’ Alcaide before Ko Pin Chung takes on Wiktor Zielinski of Poland to wrap up the afternoon action. The evening sees WNT No.1 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz once again face James Aranas in the first round, followed by Fedor Gorst taking on Mario He, ahead of Shane Van Boening and Duong Quoc Hoang wrapping up the Round 1 action.
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 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
Wiktor Zielinski (Taka G Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport)
Only 16 remain at the World Pool Championship 2023 in Kielce, Poland with the likes of Shane Van Boening, Albin Ouschan, and Francisco Sanchez Ruiz all looking to make a run to the finish line live on Sky Sports, Viaplay, DAZN, Matchroom.Live and TV networks worldwide.
Van Boening came up against his stiffest test yet in his mission to keep ahold of the title he won 12 months ago with a victory of Singapore’s Aloysius Yapp in a 11-9 win that saw the South Dakota Kid struggle to shake off the 2022 US Open runner-up. 2021 champion Ouschan was taken to the dying ember by Daniel Maciol of Poland to secure his passage whilst Sanchez Ruiz got the better of former world champion Thorsten Hohmann to book his place in the Last 16.
Mohammad Soufi, Denis Grabe, Max Lechner, and Wu Kun Lin all progressed to the penultimate days with wins over Mika Immonen, Nguyễn Anh Tuấn, Johann Chua, and Japan’s Naoyuki Oi. Neils Feijen meanwhile came from behind to beat Petri Makkonen of Finland as he hunts for a second world title.
The final moments of the day were John Morra‘s to be had with a remarkable 11-10 thriller win over Jayson Shaw from 6-4 and 10-8 down. Shaw had his opportunities to seal the win but a poor safety let Morra in to complete a huge victory in a World Pool Championship classic. It sees Morra meet Mario He next after the Austrian beat Ko Ping Chung 11-9.
Saturday 4, February – Last 16 from 12:00 pm (CET)
Table 1
Wiktor Zielinski (POL) vs Chang Jung-Lin (TPE)
Shane Van Boening (USA) vs Duong Quoc Hoang (VIE)
Table 2
Albin Ouschan (AUT) vs Mateusz Sniegocki (POL)
NB 2:00pm – John Morra (CAN) vs Mario He (AUT)
NB 3:30pm – Francisco Sanchez Ruiz (ESP) vs Denis Grabe (EST)
Table 3
Max Lechner (AUT) vs Wu Kun Lin (TPE)
NB 2:00pm – Sebastian Batkowski (POL) vs Mohammad Soufi (SYR)
NB 3:30pm – Aleksa Pecelj (SRB) vs Niels Feijen (NED)
Joshua Filler survived being knocked to the loser’s side by Alex Pagulayan on day two of the World Pool Championship 2023 in Kielce, Poland as only 64 remain after two days of action live on Sky Sports, Viaplay, DAZN, Matchroom.Live and TV networks worldwide.
Filler faced Pagulayan early on for a spot in the Last 64 to avoid an extra match in Losers’ Qualification round this evening. The Killer fell to a 9-7 defeat, his second defeat to the Canadian in a matter of days after a loss at the Derby City Classic. It left Filler having to beat Daniele Corrieri to ensure his hunt for a second world title would continue and he did so in emphatic fashion in a 9-1 dismantling. Crucially, defeat to Pagulayan meant Filler lost his seeded position in the bracket ahead of the Last 64 redraw.
Last year’s semi-finalist Abdullah Alyousef suffered a 9-3 defeat to USA hotshot Shane Wolford to be sent home at the first major hurdle whilst Oliver Szolnoki suffered the same fate in a hill-hill finish against Ajdin Piknjac. 2021 runner-up Omar Al-Shaheen struggled for his groove against Denis Grabe as the Estonian came good to knock the 2021 runner-up out the competition. There was frustration for 1996 champion Ralf Souquet also, the Kaiser well beaten by Pole Daniel Maciol in Winners’ Qualification before defeat at the hands of Dimitri Jungo. Home favourite Mieszko Fortunski was also knocked out with the World Pool Masters semi-finalist knocked out by Lars Kuckherm.
The 32 players who qualified through Winners’ Qualification were seeded in the Last 64 redraw against an unseeded player who came through the Losers Qualification matches with Karl Boyes completing the draw with Rachel Casey on the Matchroom Pool YouTube page. Pagulayan and Filler will have to dance again after being drawn against each other whilst defending champion Van Boening will come up against Uski.
Action returns from midday local time tomorrow on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, Viaplay in Poland, Scandinavia, the Baltics, and the Netherlands, DAZN in the USA and Italy as well as on Matchroom.Live and broadcasters worldwide. Table 2 and Table 3 are on the Matchroom Pool and Multi Sport YouTube Channels respectively and Viaplay in above listed territories. See where to watch here.
Shane Van Boening (Taka G Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport)
Jayson Shaw survived a hill-hill scare in his opening match of the World Pool Championship 2023 in Kielce, Poland as defending champion Shane Van Boening cruised through to Winners Round 1 unscathed live on Sky Sports, Viaplay, DAZN, Matchroom.Live and networks worldwide.
Van Boening stepped out at Targi Kielce looking to do what only Earl Strickland has ever achieved in defending a world title with Masato Yoshioka offering the first test. The South Dakota Kid was barely troubled by his opponent in a strong showing that saw Yoshioka restricted to few opportunities as Van Boening rattled in a 9-2 opening win. Mats Schjetne awaits tomorrow afternoon for Van Boening in Winners’ Qualification.
Shaw meanwhile had a far from the ideal start being pushed to the final four ball against Italy’s Francesco Candela. Two-time Mosconi Cup MVP Shaw, got off to a comfortable start to lead 5-3 but Candela hit back forcing it all the way to the hill. It was the case of Shaw making plenty of balls off the break but misfortune awaiting at his feet with several in-offs to claw Candela back into the contest. Candela forced a hill-hill finish and looked to have an out after a nervy safety exchange only for the four to be left hanging to allow Shaw in to complete a 9-8 win.
“I played well throughout the match. It was a weird one. Funny little things happened, I am exhausted and can barely keep my eyes open with a lot of pool being played in the last week. I need a good sleep and I will be back tomorrow. I got here at 5 pm yesterday and woke up at 5 pm today! 24 hours, I didn’t know where I was! Hopefully, tomorrow I can be back to where I need to be. I am playing well, there are a lot of good players out here. Hopefully, luck is on your side and you play well. It’s one match at a time for me. Everyone is here to win, we will see what happens.” – Jayson Shaw after beating Francesco Candela 9-5.
Wojciech Szewczyk (Taka G Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport)
13 Polish players started their journey on home soil with Wojciech Szewczyk getting the honours of playing the first match on Table 1 with the Warsaw native up against Bashar Hussain Abdul Majeed in front of a packed home crowd.
Nineball World No. 1 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz beat So Shaw in a whitewash before coming from 5-2 down to defeat Wu Kun Lin and book a spot in the Last 64 and a day off tomorrow. Joining Sanchez Ruiz in the Last 64 is two-time winner Albin Ouschan who got the better of SVB Junior Open winner Khalid Alghamdi in Winners’ Qualification whilst Niels Feijen, Ko Ping Chung and Max Lechner also made it through early doors. It was also a delight for Nick Van Den Berg on a triumphant return to the Nineball Arena with back-to-back wins.
Action returns from midday local time tomorrow on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland, Viaplay in Poland, Scandinavia, the Baltics, and the Netherlands, DAZN in the USA and Italy as well as on Matchroom.Live and broadcasters worldwide. Table 2 and Table 3 are on the Matchroom Pool and Multi Sport YouTube Channels respectively and Viaplay in above listed territories. See where to watch here.
Shane Van Boening (Taka G Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport)
Shane Van Boening will begin the defense of his World Pool Championship title against Japan’s Masato Yoshioka in Kielce, Poland from February 1-5 live on Sky Sports in the UK, Viaplay in Poland, Scandinavia and the Baltics, DAZN in the USA as well as Matchroom.Live and networks worldwide.
The American will look to become only the second player in history to defend the title following in the footsteps of Earl Strickland in a packed arena at Targi Kielce. 46 countries will be represented in the 128-player field as it is whittled down to the Last 64 over the first two days of action before it’s straight knockout to the end where one will claim the $60,000 first-place prize and the world crown.
The draw was completed with the top 64 players from the Nineball World Rankings against an unseeded player from the other 64 in the hat. Standout first-round ties include 2015 world champion Ko Pin Yi facing James Aranas of the Philippines whilst 2022 semi-finalist Abdullah Alyousef faces the tricky prospect of Johann Chua. 2004 world champion Alex Pagulayan was unseeded and will meet Michael Schneider.
World Cup of Pool winner David Alcaide takes on Billy Thorpe and Shane Wolford‘s mission for a spot on Team USA at the 2023 Mosconi Cup takes on Pia Filler. Francisco Sanchez Ruiz had a year to remember last year and will begin his Nineball campaign against So Shaw of Iran.
Double elimination matches are all race to 9, with all matches from the Last 64 a race to 11 except the final, which is a race to 13.
Table 1 will be live on broadcasters worldwide including Sky Sports in the UK, Viaplay in Poland, Scandinavia, Baltics, and the Netherlands, DAZN in the USA, Canada, and Italy, as well as on Matchroom.Live and networks worldwide. See where to watch here.
Table 2 will be live on Viaplay in selected territories as well as on Matchroom.Live and the Matchroom Pool YouTube channel.
Table 3 will be live on Viaplay in selected territories as well as on Matchroom.Live and the Matchroom Multi Sport YouTube channel.
Ko Pin Yi has moved inside the world’s top ten on the Live Nineball World Rankings after claiming The APF Asian 9-Ball Open title beating James Aranas in the final 13-11 in Singapore live on the Matchroom Pool social channels as well as on the APF feeds, Matchroom.Live and broadcasters across Asia.
The 2015 World Champion knocked out US Open runner-up Aloysius Yapp, Masato Yoshioka, and Johann Chua on the way to a memorable victory that sees Ko rise inside the top ten on the Live Nineball World Rankings thanks to the 10,000 Singapore Dollars first place prize.
Aranas showed guile and guts throughout as he reminded the world what he is capable of but in the end, it proved not to be enough to pip an imperious Ko who came from behind meaning the Filipino settled for 5,000 Singapore Dollars and second spot.
Ko has been back playing in Europe this year and acknowledged it made a difference playing closer to home: “The difference between Asian and European style in play is very different but despite that, I still had to be performing at my very best to win the tournament. I felt less pressure with less travel and being able to communicate with people in Mandarin so I felt a lot more relaxed and confident.”
The Chinese Taipei star was happy to move inside the top ten to increase his chances of getting into the biggest tournaments on the calendar next year: “In Asia, if there are more rankings events, I will make more of a point of taking part. I feel more pressure when I travel abroad. Winning the tournament will boost my confidence to play well in the US Open Pool Championship. I hope all Matchroom events will come to Asia!.”
Naoyuki Oi‘s run to the semi-finals before defeat to Aranas sees the Japanese star move up from World No. 27 to No.22 whilst Chua enters the rankings for the first time at No. 100. Oi now sits just outside the World’s Top 20 by less than $500. Hong Kong, China’s Lo Ho Sum, and Robbie Capito both move inside the Top 50 after runs to the Last 16 and Quarter-Finals respectively.
Over 15 new players enter the Live Nineball Rankings after the first-ever Nineball Ranking Event to take place in Asia. Ko’s win could prove vital for him ahead of the US Open Pool Championship where the top 128 off the 2022 and Live Nineball World Rankings will be seeded. As it stands, it would mean Ko would be on the same side of the bracket as Nineball World No.2 Joshua Filler.
The tournament was live streamed across the world on the Matchroom Pool Facebook and YouTube as well as OTT platform Matchroom.Live to become the first tournament outside of Matchroom events to be broadcast on those feeds. Matchroom provided support to the APF on site with Karl Boyes lead commentator throughout the coverage live from Singapore.
Matchroom Multi Sport Managing Director Emily Frazer was also on-site in Singapore: “I am delighted with how the inaugural APF Asian 9-Ball Open has gone. I want to take the chance to thank the APF’s team for putting together such a professional set-up and working with us on this Nineball first. I am excited to see where our partnership can head and I hope it’s the first of many Nineball Ranking tournaments to take place in the Southern Hemisphere. It has opened my eyes to further the Nineball schedule globally.”
Focus now turns to Europe and Zaragoza in Spain for the PRP Nineball Open that is set to take place from September 14-19.
Roy Francisco has confirmed on his Facebook page that James Aranas was detained and deported back to the Philippines in the same manner that Dennis Orcollo was detained and deported earlier this year.
In his Facebook post, Francisco said that he feared that Aranas might be on a list of flagged players and his fears were proven true when Aranas was detained at LAX on February 3rd.
Aranas informed Francisco that he was being held in a room with a number of athletes and artists from outside of the United States who were on tourist VISAs. Most of them being from Europe. He was held and questioned for twenty seven hours before having his VISA revoked, a citation issued and being informed that he was banned from entering the United States for the next five years.
Additionally, Aranas was informed that participating in tournament in the US on a tourist VISA was what he had done wrong and that he would need to obtain an Athletes VISA or a Working VISA.
At least for now, Aranas will be in the same position as countryman Orcollo as they attempt to fight this ban and obtain the required paperwork to re-enter the United States in order to compete.
Francisco expressed his concerns that Orcollo and Aranas will not be the last Filipino players to have these same tourist VISA issue’s and warns any other Filipino players entering the country to make sure they have the proper paperwork, or are prepared for a quick trip back home.
