Eklent Kaçi’s title defence comes to a shocking end at the BetVictor 2024 UK Open Pool Championship at the Telford International Centre. Unlike Capito, Fortunski, Makkonen, and Labutis who advance into tomorrow’s semi-finals live on broadcasters worldwide, including DAZN, Viaplay, and Sky Sports in the UK.
Defending champion Eklent Kaçi began the day with an impressive battle against American hall of famer Shane Van Boening, securing a decisive 10-5 victory. Kaçi then went on to encounter Spanish Open semi-finalist Pijus Labutis, who had previously stopped Mickey Krause with a 10-6 win in the Last 16 stage.
Unfortunately for Kaçi, his title defence came to a devastating halt against Labutis, who prevented the Albanian from gaining any momentum during the racks. A golden break comfortably propelled Labutis to the hill, where he swept the table to reach 10-5, bringing an end to Kaçi’s reign.
Filler’s masterclass persisted as he continued his rack win streak from the previous night, dominating Wiktor Zielinski with a commanding 6-0 lead. Filler’s execution of safety shots left Zielinski with little opportunity to gain ground, concluding the match 10-3.
In the subsequent round, Filler faced off against the emerging talent Robbie Capito, who had defeated Fedor Gorst in a dramatic 10-8 showdown the round before. Despite Filler’s strong performance earlier, he encountered challenges against Capito, who began with an impressive 6-0 advantage. Filler regained momentum, seizing opportunities presented by his opponent’s mistakes and bringing the match to a hill-hill climax. Unfortunately, a crucial error in potting the 4-ball in the final rack proved costly for Filler, allowing Capito to secure the victory and advance to the semi-finals.
The Last 16 saw a double KO, with both Ko Pin Yi and Ko Ping Chung getting knocked out of the tournament by Tobias Bongers and Mieszko Fortunski, respectively. Bongers and Fortunski then faced off in the following round, but it was Fortunski who emerged victorious with a convincing 10-4 win over Bongers.
Mosconi Cup Team USA captain Skyler Woodward also met his match in the Last 16, as Petri Makkonen defeated the last remaining American 10-7. The Finnish competitor then went head-to-head with the two-time World Pool Champion, Albin Ouschan, establishing an early lead in the match.
However, Makkonen’s missed shot on the 9-ball in rack 12, followed by a scratch on the break in rack 17, allowed Ouschan to mount a comeback and bring the match to a thrilling hill-hill scenario. Unfortunately for Ouschan, a dry break dashed his hopes, enabling Makkonen to clear the table and secure his place in the semi-finals tomorrow.
The JS Junior Open finished today, showcasing a thrilling final match between Sonny Haegmans and Maks Benko. In a showdown filled with tension, defending champion Benko emerged victorious with a 9-4 triumph. His win secured the top prize of $2,500, amidst the buzz of excitement at the Telford International Centre.
Juniors aged 17 and under all came to Telford hoping to make a name for themselves as an up-and-coming superstar. With host Shaw watching on and welcoming, action was fast-paced as they competed for their part of the $10,000 prize fund.
Watch
The last day will be broadcasted live on Sky Sports in the UK and Ireland with fans in the USA and Brazil able to watch on DAZN whilst those in Scandinavia, the Baltics, Poland, Netherlands, and Iceland can watch live on Viaplay.
World Champion Francisco Sanchez Ruiz suffered an unexpected exit from the BetVictor 2024 UK Open Pool Championship, at the Telford International Centre, whereas defending champion Eklent Kaçi advances into tomorrow’s Last 16 live on broadcasters worldwide, including DAZN, Viaplay, and Sky Sports in the UK.
Despite making it to the Last 32, Ruiz fell short against former World Cup of Pool champion Petri Makkonen, losing 10-6. Upsets continued as home favourite Jayson Shaw and Vietnamese star Duong Quoc Hoang both failed to progress from the Last 64 stage, each losing 10-7.
Kaçi’s title defence remained strong, staging a crucial comeback against Mario He, overturning a 1-5 deficit to ultimately secure a 10-7 victory. The defending champion went into the Last 32, where he defeated the Singaporean Toh Lian Han with a decisive 10-5. However, his younger brother, Kledio Kaçi, struggled to advance past the Last 64, falling 10-7 to Makkonen.
The only Austrian to make it to the quarterfinals, Albin Ouschan, secured a hard-fought victory over snooker champion Gary Wilson in a nail-biting 10-9 battle. Ouschan clawed back from a three-rack deficit, earning his place for tomorrow’s matchup.
The Ko brothers effortlessly advanced into the quarterfinals with slid back-to-back victories in their matches, alongside last year’s Mosconi Cup Team USA contenders, Fedor Gorst, Shane Van Boening, and this year’s captain, Skyler Woodward.
To wrap up the day, Joshua ‘The Killer’ Filler claimed his revenge against old foe Anton Raga with a commanding a 10-0 masterclass, marking a stark contrast to Raga’s victory over Filler in the 2023 European Open.
The JS Junior Open returns alongside the main action in the Telford International Centre. Juniors aged 17 and under all came to Telford hoping to make a name for themselves as an up-and-coming superstar. With host Shaw watching on and welcoming, action was fast-paced as they compete for their part of the $10,000 prize fund. All players were provided with a free jersey from partners Onboard Sportswear as well as welcome pack that included tips and chalk from KAMUI. The final of the JS Junior Open will be live-streamed live on the Matchroom Pool YouTube channel thanks to the partners mentioned above and Cuetec, Diamond Billiards, Iwan Simonis, and Aramith Balls.
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 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
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.”
Defending Champion Eklent Kaçi’s title defence kicked off with tough battle against Jose Alberto Delgado on the opening day of the BetVictor 2024 UK Open Pool Championship at the Telford International Centre, with the likes of Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, Fedor Gorst, Shane Van Boening, and Duong Quoc Hoang amongst the list of top names to not fumble yet live on broadcasters worldwide, including DAZN, Viaplay, and Sky Sports in the UK.
Kaçi faced a testing start on day one, locked in a neck-and-neck matchup with Spanish player Jose Alberto Delgado. Delgado took an early lead, but Kaçi rallied back after a series of rack wins exchanged between the two. Despite miscuing the 9-ball in rack 16, Kaçi managed to regain control after a scratch from break, securing his first win of the tournament.
Top-ranked players like No.1 WNT Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, Shane Van Boening, Fedor Gorst, Joshua Filler, and Mario He had smooth victories in their opening matches. However, the Austrian, Max Lechner faced his first defeat against Cypriot Antonis Brabin, who finished the day with two consecutive wins.
Duong Quoc Hoang continued his winning streak from the Scottish Open, defeating Spencer Oliver from Great Britain and the American Danny Olsen with scores of 9-2 each. Meanwhile, last year’s World Cup of Pool winner, Johann Chua, dominated Vincent Facquet 9-0 and later secured a close 9-7 win against fellow Filipino Bernie Reglario.
The Ko brothers, Pin Yi and Ping Chung, sailed through their initial rounds in the UK Open, while Ko Ping Han made a remarkable comeback against Korean star Seo Seoa. However, Ping Han fell short against the Brit Imran Majid in his second match, losing 9-7.
2023 World Pool Championship finalist, Mohammad Soufi faced off against Lin Tsung Han from Chinese Taipei, narrowly clinching a 9-7 victory. However, Soufi struggled in his following match against the rising star Sam ‘Ryno’ Henderson, who capitalised on Soufi’s errors to secure a well-fought win.
Adding to the excitement, Kledio Kaçi, the younger brother of the defending UK Open champion, made a memorable impression on day one, with a decisive 9-1 victory against Ali Asgar Merchant, followed by a 9-5 win against the Estonian, Denis Grabe.
Pia Filler, the first signed woman WNT professional, delivered a strong performance against Chris Wattanawonna, winning 9-5 against the Thai player. However, Filler faced a challenging match against Dutch cueist, Marc Bijsterbosch, losing in a tense hill-hill battle.
Commentating duo Jeremy Jones and Karl Boyes had mixed results on day one; Jones lost to Babken Melkonyan in a hill-hill match, while ‘Box Office’ Boyes defeated Konrad Juszczyszyn with a commendable 9-6 win. However, Boyes failed to maintain his momentum against the Indonesian Alvin Anggito, who showcased his skill with a dominant 9-2 victory in the pair’s second match.
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
World Nineball Tour No.1 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz has heralded a grand, new era for the sport as he looks forward to defending his world title at this year’s World Pool Championship – which marks the beginning of a major 10-year partnership for the premier tournament in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
The crown jewel of the WNT, the World Pool Championship, will be held at the Green Halls, Jeddah in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia between 3-8 June, in partnership with the Saudi Arabian Billiard & Snooker Federation (SABSF) and the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Sport. 128 of the world’s elite cueists will battle it out in a double-elimination format for the record-breaking prize fund of $1,000,000, and a top prize of $250,000 – both the highest ever on the World Nineball Tour.
Along with reigning and defending world champion Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, five-time US Open champion and 2022 world champion Shane Van Boening and 2018 world champion Joshua Filler will be among the high-profile names competing for the game’s greatest individual prize this summer.
Sanchez Ruiz said: “This is an incredibly exciting time for the World Nineball Tour and a sign of the future direction of our sport. The World Championship in Saudi Arabia marks a historic moment for pool and I am really looking forward to defending my title amongst the world’s best in Jeddah.”
The field will feature the top 100 from the World Nineball Tour Rankings, with the remaining 28 players made up of wildcard entries, 10 of whom will be given to the host nation, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia – these include Saad Aldress, Ahmed Al jabar, Khalid Alotaibi, Ahmed Fairaq, Khalid Al Ghamdi, Hussain Mustafa, Ahmed Al Ahmadi, Fahad Alharbi, Nawaf Shamardal and Othman Alzahrani.The cutoff for the top 100 WNT players will be determined at the conclusion of the UK Open 7-12 May.
In this exciting new partnership, the move will help establish the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia as a new home of the World Pool Championship for the next decade, with the country becoming one of the fastest growing countries in world sport. Since 2015 and the introduction of Vision 2030, Saudi Arabia has hosted over 100 international sports events and welcomed more than 2.6 million sports fans as it looks to inspire its people to live happier and healthier lifestyles through sports participation.
It is an approach that has been working especially within its young population, of which there is over 20 million people under the age of 30 years old. Since 2015, Saudi Arabia has tripled the number of official sports federations from 32 to 97 federations. Everything from Kite surfing, to boxing, from Beach Volleyball to Padel. Whilst during the same time, participation rates in sports have also tripled with more boys and girls, men and women playing more sports than ever before, including an 150% increase in female sport.
The landmark event, which starts on June 3, will feature 223 matches over six days of competition, with 50 televised hours of pool and 100 streaming hours broadcast to every territory around the globe.
Defending world champion Francisco Sanchez Ruiz will head to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia seeking to retain the crown that he won last February in Kielce, Poland against Syria’s Mohammad Soufi.
The decade-long deal will deliver a sharp focus and commitment to growing the game in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which includes encouraging grassroots awareness and playing pathways for local talent over the next 10 years.
Saudi Arabia Billiard & Snooker Federation President, Dr. Nasser Saab Al-Shammari added: “In June this year, new sporting history will be written in Saudi Arabia, and we couldn’t be more excited. We’ve literally never had the opportunity to welcome world class talents like Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, Shane Van Boening and Joshua Filler to play live for fans here. So that will be extremely special for us. But to go beyond hosting the top stars by also having the best ten local Saudi players take part, will open-up an entire new world and will give our players the experience of a lifetime.
“Saudi’s sporting future and ambitions will see us becoming far more than just welcoming hosts. We want to connect, share and compete at the highest possible level in the years ahead. That journey starts this summer.”
Matchroom Multi-Sport CEO, Emily Frazer said: “We are incredibly grateful to the Ministry of Sport for Saudi Arabia for this unique opportunity. We believe this landmark 10-year deal will provide the catalyst to developing the stars for tomorrow from this region, supported in conjunction with a leading junior event alongside the World Pool Championship, as well as training top-level officials who will further enhance the sport here in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. It underlines the great strides that are being taken by the World Nineball Tour as we continue to provide unrivalled, life-changing opportunities and competition for our professional players.”
For the latest news, schedules and ticket details, please visit matchroom.com
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.
Defending champion Ko Pin Yi knocked out WNT No.1 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz to advance to the semi-finals of the 2024 World Pool Masters at Halle39 in Hildesheim, Germany, in partnership with local organizer Moltke Sports and host broadcaster Sky Sports.
Despite securing the opening rack, Ruiz suffered a setback when he scratched from the break in rack 2, igniting a dominant winning streak for the ‘Prince of Pool,’ Ko Pin Yi. The Spanish cueist made an effort to stage a comeback in rack 6 with a jump shot over the 7 ball to pot the 2 ball, but his momentum was short-lived after missing the 4 ball in the same rack.
In rack 11, Ko Pin Yi’s streak nearly came to an end at the hill after failing to pot the 2. Ruiz, eager to maintain possession, opted for safety when attempting to kick the 2 ball, only to inadvertently fluke it, leaving himself trapped from the 3 ball. Capitalising on Ruiz’s error, Ko Pin Yi secured victory in the quarter-final with a commanding 10-1 win, further solidifying his title defence.
The outcome was different for the other brother, Ko Ping Chung, who was dismantled at the start of the day by Joshua Filler, who seized the lead in rack 5 after Ko’s failure to execute a 2-9 combo. Killer Filler showcased an exceptional 3-ball long shot in the sixth rack, effortlessly clearing the table once again.
Rack 8 witnessed a tense exchange between the two, as Ko scratched the 2 ball, handing control back to Filler. However, Filler’s missed shot on the 8 ball provided a glimmer of opportunity for the ‘King Killer’ Ko, who attempted a jump shot to pot the 8 ball, only to miss and inadvertently assist Filler’s winning streak.
Filler continued his masterclass, executing a 6-8 carom swiftly followed by a 6-7 combo in rack 11. Despite a fleeting moment of hope in rack 13 with a 3-8 combo, it proved insufficient for the Chinese Taipei star, who succumbed to the German powerhouse, who moves closer to claiming his second World Pool Masters title on home turf.
Entering the evening matches, Fedor Gorst secured another victory over an Austrian contender in the World Pool Masters, this time defeating Albin Ouschan. Foreshadowing the outcome, the opening rack witnessed a golden break for Fedor, marking the beginning of his composed and tactical performance. Gorst embarked on a six-rack streak, executing a flawless 2-8 combo in rack 2 and a bank shot of the 9 ball in rack 4. In the seventh, Albin capitalised on Fedor’s failure to pot the 3 ball, allowing Albin to perform a 3-6 combo to clear the table and claim his first rack victory.
In rack 8, another opportunity arose for the Austrian, who accidentally fluked the 4 ball while attempting to pot the 3 ball. However, it proved insufficient for Ouschan, who missed the 3 ball once again, handing control back to Fedor. To seal the quarter-final with ease, Gorst played a safety shot with the 2 ball, prompting Albin to foul and set up Gorst’s 2-9 combo to reach the hill. In typical Fedor Gorst fashion, he cleared the table in the eleventh rack to advance to the semi-finals with a comfortable 10-1 victory.
The quarter-finals concluded with a gripping showdown between the two Mosconi Cup giants, Shane Van Boening and Jayson Shaw. Van Boening asserted his dominance in the opening racks, capitalizing on Shaw’s break scratch in rack 1, followed by a golden break in rack 2. Shaw mounted a comeback from a 7-3 deficit, seizing the opportunity when Van Boening missed the 3 ball in rack 10, eventually taking the lead to level the score at rack 14, making it 7-7.
Desperate to reclaim his initial lead, Shane edged ahead 8-7 in rack 15 when Shaw failed to hook the 2 ball. Shaw, composed as ever, redeemed himself in the following rack to tie the score at 8-8 after Shane struggled to pot the 1 ball. The odds seemed to favour Shaw in rack 17, who fluked the 9 ball when attempting to pot the 5 to reach the hill. Maintaining his composure, Jayson Shaw cleared the table, leaving no opportunity for Shane to stop his comeback 8-10 victory.
The semi-finals of the World Pool Masters kick off at 12:30 pm CET tomorrow with Joshua Killer Filler challenging defending champion Ko Pin Yi, followed by Fedor Gorst vs. Jayson Shaw. The winners of both matches will go on to play in the final at 7 pm in the ultimate showdown.
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.
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.
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.
