After nearly ten hours of some of the most grueling and pressure packed pool seen in years, the 2019 World 9-ball Championship has now come down to the Final 4.
The four players left, Taiwan’s Ko Ping Chung and Chang Jung Lin, Russia’s Fedor Gorst, and China’s Liu Haitao are, to a man, already proven monsters of the game. Now each is poised on the cusp of history and will get their crack at pool immortality.
In one semi-final, the current World 10-ball Champion Ko will battle it out against Gorst. In the other semi-final, Chang will match wits with Liu. Both semis, which will be race to 11, alternate break, will begin at 11am Tuesday in Doha(GMT +3) at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation. The Final, which will be race to 13, alternate break, will begin at 3pm Doha time.
Pool fans around the world looking at that list of talent on their betting sheet might be hard pressed to pick who to put their money on to take the sport’s most coveted crown. But anyone who has been lucky enough to be on hand in Doha for the last week, or watch the action online, would probably not hesitate to favor the man fondly known as “Little Ko.”
Ko got that endearing moniker by being the sweet younger brother to the great Ko Pin Yi, himself a two time former world champion. Fans have known Little Ko to have as much prodigious talent as his older brother, but it wasn’t until he won the World 10-ball Championship in Vegas in July this year that the diminutive 24 year old clearly had stepped out of that long shadow and started to establish his own greatness.
Indeed over the last four days in Doha, the 24 year old Ping Chung has exhibited an almost surreal-like confidence to do whatever it takes to win. His shot making is from another planet, he never, ever gets flustered, and he seemingly can do what he wants, when he wants.
These other-worldly skills were on full display in his three tough matches over ten hours today. In the round of 32 match against talented compatriot Lin Wu Kun, Ko got out to an early lead and held off Lin at every turn to win 11-8. In the round of 16, Ko came up against Russian veteran Ruslan Chinakhov who was playing some of his best pool in years. But Ko was in no mood to play nice, and he dominated Chinakhov 11-4.
By the time his quarterfinals battle against Vietnam upstart Do The Kien began, Ko looked a bit worn, and he fell behind 6-2. But as he did against Hungary’s Oliver Slzolnoki the night before in the round of 64, Ko grinded his way back in the match. In this case the Taiwanese absolutely put his boot down hard, winning 9 racks in a row for an emphatic 11-6 win and a spot in the semi-finals.
Little Ko’s battle with Russia’s Gorst promises to be a fascinating match up of two of pool’s great young talents. Gorst, just 19 year’s old, is a former World Junior Champion and has also won one Euro Tour event. His game and his personal demeanor appear well beyond his years, and this is not surprising when you discover that he has traveled and played extensively, especially in the US. He even speaks excellent English.
Like Ko, Gorst has a rock-solid game and low-key demeanor that serves him well when under pressure. His three fine performances today showed he is certainly ready for the big time. Should he win here in Doha, he would become the second youngest player, after 16 year old Wu Chia Ching in 2005, to win the World 9-ball Championship.
Gorst started the day with a very impressive 11-7 win over Taiwan’s Kevin Chang. In the round of 16 he blew a 7-1 lead over Poland’s Mateusz Sniegocki, and the match headed for the cliff and a sudden death rack. Gorst held his nerve with a very fine break and run to advance to the quarterfinals.
Without so much as having a bite to eat, he met up with Ko Pin Yi for what promised to be another slug fest. The early part of the match remained tight and nervy, but the young Russian stayed loose and calm and pounced on the few mistakes by Ko for an impressive 11-6 win.
The other semi final between Liu and Chang could well be described as pool’s battle of the hard core men. Both players are known for their tough, grinding style and it will be fascinating to see who blinks first.
With his many trips to the US and other countries over the years, Chang has certainly endeared himself to worldwide fans. Over the last few years the 34 year old Chang, the 2012 World 8-ball champion, has taken his game to new heights, including a win at the International in 2018. Another world title for Chang would certainly surprise nobody.
Chang played like a champion today, at least up until the end where he literally limped over the finish line. In the round of 32 he manhandled Poland’s Mieszko Fortunski, 11-5. In the round of 16 Chang came back from an early deficit to beat Spain’s Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, 11-7. Then in the quarters he looked to be in total control over Finland upstart Casper Matikainen, with an 8-2 lead.
Matikainen, who had defeated defending champion Joshua Filler in the round of 64, and had just beaten 2016 World 9-ball Champion Albin Ouschan in the round of 16, was a total revelation this week in Doha. And just when the quiet Finn looked like he would run out of gas, he began a glorious fight back against Chang. The pair ended up tied at 10 in a battle of sheer will and stamina. Chang, though, mustered one last bit of energy and skill and held on to break and run the very last rack for a nail-biting ticket to the semis.
China’s Liu has been knocking on this door of greatness for the last several years, and his three matches today showed he is ready to finally kick it in. In the round of 64, he came from two down late against Greece’s Alexander Kazakis to win 11-9. In the final 16 he came back from 6 -2 down to defeat Japan’s Naoyuki Oi, 11-9. In the quarters the Chinese went toe to toe with a streaking Alex Pagulayan. The pair had nothing between them for the first half, until Liu decided this time was his, and he put the Filipino-Canadian away, 11-8.
Should Liu win it all on Tuesday, he would become the first Chinese player to ever win the WPA World 9-ball Championship.
The winner of the 2019 World 9-ball Championship will receive $30,000. The total prize fund is $150,000.
*The 2019 WPA World 9-ball Championship takes place at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation in Doha, Qatar from December 10-17, 2019. The event is hosted by The Qatar Billiard and Snooker Federation(QBSF), and is sanctioned by the World Pool Billiard Association, the governing body of the sport of pool.
Fans around the world will be able to view live scoring, results, brackets and live streaming of many of the matches via the QBSF’s free live streaming platform at esnooker.pl. Multiple tables will be available to view online at no charge to the public.
SEMI-FINALS
Tuesday, December 17 11am, GMT +3
Race to 11, Alternate Break
Jung Lin Chang(TPE) vs. Lui Haitao(CHN)
Ping Chung Ko(TPE) vs. Fedor Gorst(RUS)
FINALS
3PM Doha
Race to 13, Alternate Break
RESULTS QUARTERFINALS
Jung Lin Chang(TPE) 11 – 10 Casper Matikainen(FIN)
Lui Haitao(CHN) 11 – 8 Alex Pagulayan(CAN)
Chung Ko Ping(TPE) 11 – 6 Do The Kien(VET)
Fedor Gorst(RUS) 11- 6 Pin Yi Ko(TPE)
RESULTS FINAL 16
Casper Matikainen(FIN) 11 – 6 Albin Ouschan(AUT)
Jung Lin Chang(TPE) 11 – 7 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz(ESP)
Finland’s Casper Matikainen takes down the defending champion in wild day in Doha as 32 players set for a sprint to the World 9-ball crown.
Casper Matikainen
Finland’s Casper Matikainen came into his round of 64 match at the World 9-ball Championship today versus the defending champion and world number 1 Joshua Filler feeling relaxed and ready for battle. He figured the German great would bring his usual fire, but he also knew that Filler might also take his eye off the proverbial ball. After all, the 23 year old Finn wasn’t exactly the most feared name in a field of absolute monsters.
So even when the self-described “King” of pool jumped out to a 4-1 lead, Matikainen never lost hope, as Filler had gotten a few lucky rolls and wasn’t playing all that great, while the Finn had a few rolls go against him.
The mental strategy soon started to bear fruit for the cool-headed blonde. Slowly, and increasingly surely, Matikainen crawled even, and then took the lead while at the same time Filler started to get sloppy, lose focus and even showed some signs of panic. From 4-1 down Matikainen calmly won 9 out of the next ten frames. After a brief hiccup on the hill that allowed Filler to claim two quick racks, the steady Finn held his nerve and closed out the biggest shock of the tournament so far, an 11-7 upset of the defending champion.
“He’s the world champion and he’s playing and I’m not there in the big tournaments and maybe he’s thinking it’s an easy win,” the 22 year old Matikainen said afterward. “I felt that Joshua had the pressure because he’s the world champion and I was really relaxed at the table and that helped me and I just got it done.”
Matikainen’s massive win was but one huge result on a dramatic day in Doha that saw some of pool’s biggest names dumped out, while others were taken to the absolute limits. With the field now down to the final 32, the next two days promises to be one of the most exciting and fascinating Battle Royale’s of 9-ball we’ve seen in years.
America’s Shane Van Boening had come to Doha a heavy favorite this year and for good reason. His last three starts here ended with two runner ups and a spot in the semis last year. But several early mistakes against Taiwan’s Liu Ri Teng was all it took for the Taiwanese to grab a commanding lead at 10-4. The American mounted a valiant fight back, but the alternate break format meant the hole was too deep. Liu sent Van Boening packing in the round of 64 with a humbling 11-8 defeat.
After his runner up finish at the US Open in Las Vegas last April, former champion Wu Jiaqing figured to go far here in Doha. But Wu came up against fellow compatriot Xu Xiaocong, who is one of a slew of quality young talents coming out of China. Xu has impressed all week here and against Wu he turned his game up several notches, crushing the former Boy Wonder 11-5.
The Taiwanese are almost sure to have one, possibly two players in the semis after tomorrow as Team Taipei looked absolutely marvelous today. It isn’t easy picking a favorite out of these world beaters but World 10-ball Champion Ko Ping Chung would probably be at the top of most punters betting sheets. The slightly built and painfully shy 22 year old is clearly at the top of his game but he even he barely escaped in a harrowing match against Hungary’s talented Oliver Szolnoki.
Szolnoki, another bright European prospect, played the match of his young career and had “Little” Ko on the ropes, shooting out to a 7-3, then 8-5 lead. The fresh-faced Hungarian reached the hill first, but Ko then displayed the courage and guts that only champions can pull off. In a nervy and tense sudden death rack, the Taiwanese made a series of surreal pressure shots to eek out the victory.
Little Ko’s older brother and two-time former world champion Pin Yi also won today, easily defeating Japan’s Yukio Akagariyama, 11-5. Fellow Taiwanese Chang Jung Lin, Chang Yu Lung, Lin Wu Kun and Kevin Chang all won their round of 64 matches today. In all seven Taiwanese made it through to the round of 32.
2016 World 9-ball champion Albin Ouschan of Austria looks to be in very fine form this year, as he easily defeated Taiwan’s Lin Ta Li 11-5. Fellow Austrian Max Lechner continued his rise this year with an 11-4 win over Lithuania’s Pijus Labutis.
The Russian contingent also put in solid performances today. Veteran Ruslan Chinakhov took down American Corey Duel 11-3, while youngster Fedor Gorst stayed alive with an 11-8 win over Slovakia’s Jakub Koniar.
2012 World 9-ball Champion Darren Appleton has been quietly playing himself back into game shape over the last few months and his solid victory today over Albanian star and European Mosconi team member Eklent Kaci could be a portent for the rest of the field. The Englishman battled back from a 4-0 deficit, and then turned the screws on the Albanian for a quality 11-6 win. In his remarkable heyday from 2008 to 2015, Appleton famously grinded out championships by the truckload and that bulldog mentality definitely was on display this afternoon.
The Philippines had only three players in the final 64 but all three made it through today. 2017 World 9-ball champion Carlo Biado got taken to the limit by Qatari veteran Bashar Hussein, before breaking and running the last rack for an 11-10 win. Also winning today for the Team Pinoy were Johann Chua and Jeffrey Ignacio.
The Polish contingent has been getting stronger by the year and they showed their quality today with three of their stars pushing through to the final 32. Mieszko Fortunski, Wojciech Szewczyk, and Mateusz Sniegocki all won handily.
Also advancing today were the USA’s Billy Thorpe, Singapore’s Aloysius Yapp, China’s Liu Haitao, Greece’s Alexander Kazakis, Spain’s Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, Estonia’s Dennis Grabe, England’s Chris Melling, Canada’s Alex Pagulayan, Qatar’s Waleed Majid, Vietnam’s Do The Kien, and Hong Kong’s young upstart Yip Kin Ling.
The penultimate day of the World 9-ball championship will be extremely busy as the field will be whittled down to the final four at the end of the days’ action.
Play on day 3, Monday, Dec. 16th will begin at 10am Doha time(GMT +3). All matches will be single elimination knockout race to 11, alternate break.
The winner of the 2019 World 9-ball Championship will receive $30,000. The total prize fund is $150,00.
*The 2019 WPA World 9-ball Championship takes place at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation in Doha, Qatar from December 10-17, 2019. The event is hosted by The Qatar Billiard and Snooker Federation(QBSF), and is sanctioned by the World Pool Billiard Association, the governing body of the sport of pool.
Fans around the world will be able to view live scoring, results, brackets and live streaming of many of the matches via the QBSF’s free live streaming platform at esnooker.pl. Multiple tables will be available to view online at no charge to the public.
Results Final 64
Casper Matikainen(FIN) 11 – 7 Joshua Filler(GER)
Yip Kin Ling(HKG) 11 – 5 John Morra(CAN)
If the first day’s play of the 2019 World 9-ball Championship is any indication–and by all measures it certainly is just that–then fans around the world better be prepared for a wild roller coaster ride over the next three days. Drama, upsets, nerves, revelations, suprises, excitement and downright brilliant 9-ball at the highest levels were all on display as play commenced in the 28th running of pool’s premier crown. And with a loaded field just getting warmed up, it’s only going to get better leading to the final on Tuesday.
With 64 matches played on 16 tables at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation in Doha, Day 1 saw 32 players book their spots in the final 64 knockout stage which begins Sunday. None of the 96 players have yet to see the exits, but there were plenty of upsets, near upsets, and upstarts making their mark on pool’s biggest stage.
The top 32 seeds were given a bye in the first round of their groups, so these players only had to win one match to reach the single elimination knockout rounds. Defending champion Joshua Filler of Germany did just that, but not before a shaky start which saw him tied at 4-4 in the race to 9 alternate break match against Qatari veteran Bashar Hussain. The World number one was never in trouble, though, and cruised to a 9-5 win.
2017 champion and runner up last year Carlo Biado of the Philippines didn’t fair as well as he got dumped over to the one loss side of his group with a shocking 9-3 loss to Chile’s Enrique Rojas. It was Rojas’ second straight victory of the day, the first coming over Kuwait’s Abdullah Alyusef. Rojas now books his well deserved spot in the Final 64 tomorrow.
The USA’s Shane Van Boening is one of the favorites here this week, but he looked a bit cold early on in his match with young talented Chinese player Xu Xiaocong. Xu is part of a large crop coming from China’s youth movement and he had the American down three quarters of the way through their match. But SVB pulled it together at the last minute and squeaked by the Chinese, 9-8. Xu will get one more chance on Sunday.
Fellow American and Mosconi teammate Billy Thorpe also booked his spot in the final 64 with a 9-5 win over Canada’s Stephen Holem.
It was a solid day for team Taiwan. World 10-ball Champion Ko Ping Chung went up against Myamar’s rising star Phone Myint Kyaw, who also goes by the moniker, Muang Muang. Kyaw is a player that pool fans will want to pay attention to. He’s a former snooker player who has been winning regularly on the brutally tough Chinese 8-ball circuit, and he just grabbed two gold medals in the Southeast Asian games in Manila. His stroke is one of the most solid in the game and anyone who watches him play instantly can see the potential in this young man.
But of course, Ko is a young prodigy who has already proven his metal in American pool with his recent win at the World 10-ball in July in Vegas. Little Ko didn’t have much trouble with Muang Muang, winning handily, 9-4.
Little Ko will join his older brother Pin Yi in the final 64, who defeated the always stingy Jalal Al Sarisi of Venezuela, 9-4. Other Taiwanese cruising into the final 64 include Chang Jung Lin, Chang Yu Lung, and Kevin Cheng.
The Philippines is surprisingly unrepresented in Doha this year with only four players in the field. With Biado losing early it was up to Johann Chua and Jeffrey Ingacio to save the day for the Pinoys. Both looked the goods and nabbed spots in the final 64.
It was a mixed bag for the European Mosconio Cup team. Greece’s Alexander Kazakis is one of Europe’s top bets here this week and he qualified for the knockout round with an easy 9-5 win over Qatar’s Waleed Majid. But Albania’s Eklent Kaci and former World 9-ball Champion Niels Feijen of the Netherlands weren’t so fortunate. Kaci lost big to the Netherlands’ Ivar Saris, who had earlier looked solid in a 9-6 win over Poland’s Karol Skowerski. Feijen went down to upstart Hong Konger Yip Kin Ling, 9-7, who took his spot in the Final 64 with his second win of the day.
The surprises kept coming throughout the day. Lithuania’s Pijus Labutis first squeaked by Peru’s Gerson Martinez, 9-8. Then he took on former World 9-ball Champion Wu Jiaqing, and shocked the Chinese great with a 9-7 upset, and a spot in the knockout rounds.
Also booking a spot in the final 64 was Canada’s John Morra, who continued his return to fine form with a 9-8 win over Poland’s Mateusz Sniegocki. Singapore’s Aloysius Yapp showed that he’s clearly a dark horse to watch here in Doha with a 9-4 drubbing of China’s talented Dang Jinhu. England’s Chris Melling came back from 6-2 down to defeat Vietnam’s Do The Kien, 9-7. Also advancing today were Japan’s Naoyuki Oi, Austria’s Max Lechner, China’s Lui Haitao, Estonia’s Dennis Grabe, Finland’s Petri Makkonen, Germany’s Ralf Souquet, and Spaniards David Alcaide and Francisco Sanchez Ruiz.
Play on day 2 on Sunday, Dec. 14th will begin at 10am Doha time(GMT +3). The field will be whittled down to 64 players playing single elimination knockout race to 11. The round of 64 will be completed in the first two session, and by the end of the day, the field will be down to the final 32.
The winner of the 2019 World 9-ball Championship will receive $30,000. The total prize fund is $150,00.
*The 2019 WPA World 9-ball Championship takes place at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation in Doha, Qatar from December 10-17, 2019. The event is hosted by The Qatar Billiard and Snooker Federation(QBSF), and is sanctioned by the World Pool Billiard Association, the governing body of the sport of pool.
Fans around the world will be able to view live scoring, results, brackets and live streaming of many of the matches via the QBSF’s free live streaming platform at esnooker.pl. Multiple tables will be available to view online at no charge to the public.
Pia and Josh Filler at the 2018 World 9-Ball Championship
96 players from over 40 countries will battle for a ticket to pool’s pantheon of legends
For three decades it has been the sport of pool’s premier stamp of greatness. The WPA World 9-ball Championship is, for any player who captures this most coveted of crowns, an instant ticket to a pantheon of legends, a list of supreme talent signifying not just one singular accomplishment, but of eternal pool glory.
Just look at the list of names who have captured this crown; Strickland(’90, ’91, ’02),Hohmann(’03, ’13), Chao(’93, ’00), Reyes, Okumura, Ortmann, Takahashi, Immonen, Archer, Varner, Souquet, Pagulayan, Wu, Alcano, Peach, Bustamante, Akagariyama, Appleton, Feijen, Ouschan, Biado, Ko, and most recently Filler. Each and every one a superstar who, when they won, were at the top of their craft in a pool world always stacked with a slew of incredible and hungry talent. Nobody gets there by being lucky, nobody is handed the golden crown.
This is why for the past 30 years pool fans all over the world so eagerly await this annual slug fest of pool’s very best. Drama, classic comebacks, amazing upsets, nervy action, brilliant pressure packed performances are always on full display. And it will happen once more over the next week in Doha, Qatar, when once again the heavyweights of the pool world will gather for the 28th time to contest the most prestigious prize in pool.
2019 marks the tenth straight year that the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation(QBSF) has hosted the World 9-ball Championship. This year’s tournament has been scaled back somewhat, from 128 players down to 96, but that only means each match will more than likely feature showdowns between the greats, which means the margin for error will be even slimmer, and the pressure to perform will be even more immense from the beginning.
The defending champion is World number 1 Joshua Filler, who by all accounts, is the favorite to become only the second man to ever win back-to-back World 9-ball crowns (Earl Strickland won in ’90 and ’91). The then 21 year old German arrived in Doha last year battle-ready and loaded with prodigious talent. Filler then clocked in a glorious week of pool, never tasting defeat, sometimes crushing opponents with breathtaking speed and total cue ball mastery, coming from behind in several pressure packed situations, and closing the door when it counted, as all champions do. In the final he held off a furious fight back from the then defending champion Carlo Biado of the Philippines, to win his first world crown, 13-10.
While pool history is not kind to those trying to win back their title for the second straight year, Filler has so turned the pool world on its head that nobody would be surprised if he was standing on the winner’s podium again this year. But the German will be up against a Murderer’s Row of pool talent who have gathered here in Doha, and each and everyone has their eyes on this prize.
One of the favorites this week has to be the American great Shane Van Boening. Like last year Van Boening, currently ranked number 2 in the world, is coming off a brilliant winning performance in the Mosconi Cup, and is positively brimming with confidence. The American has won just about everything there is to win in pool, except this event, and based on his showings the last few years here, the odds are saying that he is due to finally reach the mountain top. Just look at his recent results in Doha. Van Boening took runner up in 2015 and 2016. He skipped the 2017 championship, but last year he was once again on a serious roll, until he got taken down by Biado in the semis. For Van Boening, it’s not a matter of ‘if’, it’s simply a matter of ‘when.’
If you are looking to place your money on some other favorites, look no further than the Taiwanese contingent. World 10-ball champion and current world number 2 Ko Ping Chung leads a pack of world beaters from Taipei, which also includes heavy favorites Chang Jung Lin, Ko’s older brother Ko Pin Yi, Kevin Cheung, Chang Yu Lung and Wu Kun Lin. With this kind of talent in the field, it’s almost a certainty that at least one Taiwanese player will be in the final four.
China has yet to win a world 9-ball title but they usually put in a solid performance in Doha. Wu Qia Jing(who won the 2015 title playing under Chinese-Taipei) is once again in the field. Dang Jinhu and Liu Haitao also stand out among the Chinese players.
Biado, World number four, leads the charge for a somewhat reduced Philippine contingent. He’ll be joined by World number 14 Johann Chua, Jeffrey Ignacio and several others.
After a several year absence, 2012 World 9-ball champion and Hall of Famer Darren Appleton has made his return. He’ll be joined by one other fellow Brit, Chris Melling.
One noticeable absence this year is Scotland’s Jayson Shaw, who has had to withdraw due to some health issues. But the rest of this year’s European Mosconi Cup team will be fully represented as 2014 World 9-ball Champion Niels Feijen of the Netherlands is joined by Greece’s Alexander Kazakis and Albania’s Eklent Kaci.
And, as always happens at the World 9-ball Championship, unknowns and newcomers are sure to shock the field with a few amazing upsets.
The first day’s play on Saturday, Dec. 14th will begin at 1pm Doha time(GMT +3). Players are divided into 16 groups playing double elimination, alternate break, race to 9 until the final 64, where all matches will be single elimination, alternate break, race to 11. The race to 13 final will take place on December 17th.
The winner of the 2019 World 9-ball Championship will receive $30,000. The total prize fund is $150,000.
*The 2019 WPA World 9-ball Championship takes place at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation in Doha, Qatar from December 10-17, 2019. The event is hosted by The Qatar Billiard and Snooker Federation(QBSF), and is sanctioned by the World Pool Billiard Association, the governing body of the sport of pool.
Fans around the world will be able to view live scoring, results, brackets and live streaming of many of the matches via the QBSF’s free live streaming platform at esnooker.pl. Multiple tables will be available to view online at no charge to the public.
The Diamond Las Vegas Open begins day three on Friday with just sixteen players still on the winner’s side.
Tyler Styer is one of four remaining American players without a loss. Styer will face Chinese Taipei’s Kun Lin Wu on Friday evening. Wu already has wins over Shane Van Boening, Jung-Lin Chang and Ralf Souquet in this event, but Styer will be looking to bring that winning streak to an end.
Friday will also see a slew of eliminations as the field is narrowed to just 32 players by day’s end, and the left side of the board is filled with top talent. James Aranas, Van Boening, Souquet, Roberto Gomez, Ko Pin-Yi, Alex Kazakis, Carlo Biado, Albin Ouschan, Thorsten Hohmann, Joshua Filler and Francisco Bustamante are just a few of the players still fighting it out with one loss in this event.
Fans who can’t make it to the Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas to watch this event in person, can follow all of the action with online brackets at https://www.ctsondemand.com and free streaming coverage of select matches at https://www.youtube.com/user/csipool
Players who are hoping to compete in the upcoming Predator World 10-Ball Championship are running out of options. With three qualifiers complete, the calendar holds fewer and fewer opportunities for players to qualify.
Completed qualifiers at Griff’s Billiard in Las Vegas and The Billiard Club Parisien in Paris have awarded spots into stage one of the World 10-Ball Championship to Jeffrey Ignacio, Warren Kiamco and Fabio Rizzi.
The following events will be the final chances for players to win their way into the Championship:
June 23rd
Mecca Yokohama
Yokohama Japan
June 23rd
Raxx Pool Room
West Hempstead, NY
(516) 538-9896
June 28th
Tapei Hao Ke Pool Club, Taiwan
July 7th
Pool Players Factory
San Sebastian, Puerto Rico
July 13th
Hard Times Billiards
Sacramanto, CA
(916) 332-8793
July 21st
Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino
Las Vegas, NV
The Predator World 10-Ball Championship will take place July 22nd – 26th at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. More information on this event can be found online at www.world10ball.com
Liu Haitao battled from 6-1 and 9-6 down to beat Hsu Kai-Lun in the last-16 of the partypoker US Open 9-Ball Championship, while Chang Yu-Lung gave Jeffrey Ignacio little opportunity as he won 11-3 at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Convention Center, Las Vegas, live on Sky Sports and DAZN.
Hsu Kai-Lu took a speedy 3-0 lead before Liu got on the board. Hsu extended his advantage to 6-1 before the first of his Chinese opponent’s fightbacks and then put together a second three-pack to take a commanding position at 9-6 up. However, Liu, a World Cup of Pool winner last summer took the next five racks to win the match and move into the quarter-finals.
Liu will meet Chang in the last eight after the Taiwanese player put in a performance of complete dominance – and a little luck – against Ignacio. The Filipino had barely had a shot at the table when he got a chance at 8-1 but soon after getting his second rack on the board control returned to Chang. In missing the 6, Chang fluked a carom on the 9 and had another slice of luck in the next rack as the cue somehow stayed in the jaw of the middle pocket when a scratch looked certain.
Ignacio returned to the table in game 13 and freewheeled his way to a third rack but the match was over minutes later as Chang completed an 11-3 win.
Earlier in the day Joshua Filler defeated defending champion Jayson Shaw with a breath-taking performance to set up a quarter-final tie with Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, who defeated Ko Ping-Chung. There were wins too for Jeffrey De Luna over Imran Majid and Alex Pagulayan in a true hill-hill thriller with Aloysuis Yapp.
The last 16 concludes on Thursday morning with Hsu Jui-An against Wang Can and Shane Van Boening versus Wu Jiawing before the four quarter-finals take place in the Diamond Arena at Mandalay Bay. Live scores are available now at www.matchroompool.com.
Players are playing for their share of a $300,000 tournament purse. The winner will take home $50,000, the famous US Open green jacket and the newly-commissioned Barry Behrman trophy.
Tickets for the 43rd partypoker US Open 9-Ball Championship are still available at www.matchroompool.com from as little as $10 with VIP packages also available for the final three days of the tournament.
Alex 'The Lion' Pagulayan will meet Jeffrey De Luna in the quarter-finals of the partypoker US Open 9-Ball Championship after both came through gripping last-16 matches at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Convention Centre, Las Vegas, live on Sky Sports and DAZN.
Pagulayan, the 2005 US Open Champion, defeated Aloysuis Yapp in a hill-hill thriller which was exactly that – an entertaining battle which twisted and turned throughout.
It was Yapp who reached the hill first, at 8-10. However, the Singapore sensation missed on the 6 to allow Pagulayan what should have been a routine run-out. The Canadian misjudged the bounce off the rail playing position on the 9 but played an inch-perfect bank to the right middle to pull within one. A runout took him to the hill and he then played a controlled decided rack to complete the comeback and progress to the last eight, to the delight of the packed Diamond Arena.
Earlier, Jeff De Luna saw off England’s Imran Majid to set up a quarter-final against a familiar foe in the form of Pagulayan. The Filipino had trailed for most of the match but from 8-5 down found his form to win six of the following seven racks to take the match.
“I was really happy to win,” said De Luna. “This week I feel like my game had been at 95% but today I felt pressure at the start of the match. I got comfortable with the speed of the table and was able to come back. Imran was playing well, I have played him before but this was the best I have seen him play so I was really happy to be able to come back.
“I play Alex all the time in the Philippines in money games so I am very comfortable against him. He is a great player, a World Champion, but the table is anybody’s during a game situation.”
Play continues with two more last-16 matches scheduled for Wednesday. All matches at the partypoker US Open 9-Ball Championship are race to 11, winner breaks, except the final which is race to 13. Live scores are available now at www.matchroompool.com.
Players are playing for their share of a $300,000 tournament purse. The winner will take home $50,000, the famous US Open green jacket and the newly-commissioned Barry Behrman trophy.
Tickets for the 43rd partypoker US Open 9-Ball Championship are still available at www.matchroompool.com from as little as $10 with VIP packages also available for the final three days of the tournament.
Jayson Shaw’s partypoker US Open 9-Ball Championship defence is over after he was defeated 11-4 by World Champion Joshua Filler at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Convention Center, Las Vegas on Wednesday, live on Sky Sports and DAZN.
Filler will now play Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz in the quarter-finals after the Spaniard beat Ko Ping-Chung 11-4 in the morning session’s second last-16 fixture.
Having lost to Hsu Kai-Lun on Monday evening ‘Killer’ Filler had to battle through four losers’-round matches on Tuesday to reach the single elimination stage but showed no signs of fatigue as he won ten consecutive racks to overturn an early 3-0 deficit against Shaw.
The Scot gave himself a glimmer of hope by taking the 14th game but Filler was soon back at the table and his outstanding form was evident again as he made the final 9 in style to move into the quarter-finals.
“To play the defending champion, I was quite nervous,” said Filler. “I got a good break and that gave me a lot of confidence. It was a 50/50 match; we have both been champions of big events so it could have gone either way.
“I have had some tough matches already; I had to beat Alex Kazakis, Albin Ouschan who are two of the hottest players in the world. I won the World Championships in December but this is the toughest tournament I have ever played, it is unbelievable.”
Filler will now play Sanchez-Ruiz on Thursday after the Spaniard put in a confident performance against Ko Ping-Chung. Having already knocked out Ping-Chung’s brother Ko Pin-Yi in the winners’ qualification match yesterday, Sanchez-Ruiz built an early 6-1 lead. Ko fought back to within two but struggled to find his rhythm and his opponent was soon back at the table and raced to a comfortable 11-4 victory.
“I played so well in the match and was really happy with my play,” said Sanchez-Ruiz. “I played against both players and played well so I am really happy. They are both top players in the world so they were difficult matches. The quarter-final will be a tough match. Filler is World Champion but I am focussed on my game and I believe in my game, so we will see what happens.”
Play continues with four more last-16 matches schedule for Wednesday. All matches at the partypoker US Open 9-Ball Championship are race to 11, winner breaks, except the final which is race to 13. Live scores are available now at www.matchroompool.com.
Players are playing for their share of a $300,000 tournament purse. The winner will take home $50,000, the famous US Open green jacket and the newly-commissioned Barry Behrman trophy.
Tickets for the 43rd partypoker US Open 9-Ball Championship are still available at www.matchroompool.com from as little as $10 with VIP packages also available for the final three days of the tournament.
After 488 matches of double elimination pool the partypoker US Open 9-Ball Championship is down to the last 16 as play moves into the Diamond Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino Convention Center, Las Vegas on Wednesday.
The tournament now switches to single elimination, with global television coverage including Sky Sports and DAZN. The top two seeded players – defending champion Jayson Shaw and US No.1 Shane Van Boening – both came through the double elimination stage unscathed and will now face Joshua Filler and Wu Jiaqing respectively in two of the standout matches from the last 16.
Tuesday’s action ended with the final eight matches on the losers’ side of the double elimination brackets. Filler beat Petri Makkonen 11-6 to progress, while Wu booked his match with Van Boening by defeating Mieszko Fortunski in the 21st and final rack of their match.
Elsewhere there was success for Aloysuis Yapp over Ko Pin-Yi, whose brother Ko Ping-Chung beat Tyler Styer 11-7. There were wins too for Lui Haitao and Wang Can of China, while Jeffrey Ignacio’s victory over Dennis Hatch means Van Boening is the only play from outside of Asia in the bottom half of the draw. England’s Imran Majid defeated Cheng-Chieh Liu of Taiwan and will now face Jeff De Luna.
All matches at the partypoker US Open 9-Ball Championship are race to 11, winner breaks, except the final which is race to 13. The draw and match schedule for the first stage of the tournament is available now at www.matchroompool.com.
Players are playing for their share of a $300,000 tournament purse. The winner will take home $50,000, the famous US Open green jacket and the newly-commissioned Barry Behrman trophy.
Tickets for the 43rd partypoker US Open 9-Ball Championship are still available at www.matchroompool.com from as little as $10 with VIP packages also available for the final three days of the tournament.
