Tag: Championship

Johann Chua reaches semis of World Pool Championship

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Johann Chua. Photo from Matchroom Pool

Johann Chua posted twin victories Friday to march into the semifinals and close in on becoming the latest Filipino winner of the World Pool Championship in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Chua defeated Syria’s Mohammad Soufi, 11-8, and China’s Dang Jin Hu, 11-3, at Green Halls to become the country’s lone hope of capturing the prestigious nine-ball competition.

The 2021 Vietnam Southeast Asian Games gold medalist and 2023 World Cup of Pool co-winner will take Albania’s Eklent Kaci in Saturday’s semifinal.

READ: Filipino bets advance in World Pool Championship

If Chua wins, he’ll face either Poland’s Wojciech Szewczyk or 2019 champion Fedor Gorst, the Russian-born pool player who now represents the United States, for the title later in the day.

A top purse of $250,000 is at stake in the tournament.

Jeffrey Ignacio and Anton Raga won their round-of-16 matches, but were eliminated in the quarterfinals.

READ: Johann Chua, James Aranas lead PH to record fourth World Cup of Pool title

Ignacio beat Spain’s David Alcaide, 11-4, but bowed to Kaci, 11-7, in the quarters, while Raga downed 2018 winner Joshua Filler of Germany, 11-7, only to be shown the door by Gorst in his next match, 11-4.

The two Filipino cue artists will take home $27,000 each for making it to the last eight.

Filipino bets advance in World Pool Championship

On: By: admin


Filipino cue artist during the World Pool Championship

Filipino cue artist during the World Pool Championship. –HANDOUIT PHOTO

Three Filipino cue artists are still in the title hunt after reaching the round-of-16 of the World Pool Championship with victories Thursday in Saudi Arabia.

Johann Chua, Jeffrey Ignacio and Anton Raga won two matches each to progress further in the knockout stages that began at Green Halls in Jeddah.

Chua defeated Chinese-Taipei’s Ko Ping Han, 11-5, before edging out Austria’s Max Lechner, 11-10, while Ignacio ousted Spain’s Jonas Souto Comino, 11-10, and fellow Filipino Patric Gonzales, 11-7.

READ: Carlo Biado adds World 10-Ball Championship to collection

Raga kept his dreams of winning the best title of his pool career by prevailing over Chinese-Taipei’s Liu Ri Teng, 11-3, and Austria’s Mario He, 11-10.

The round-of-16 is set late Friday with Chua facing Syria’s Mohammad Soufi, Ignacio playing Spain’s David Alcaide and Raga battling Germany’s Joshua Filler, who was champion in 2018.

The quarterfinals will be held on the same day.

All three are aiming to become the first Filipino winner of the prestigious nine-ball event since Carlo Biado ruled the 2017 event in Doha.

Efren “Bata” Reyes (1999), Ronnie Alcano (2006) and Francisco “Django” Bustamante (2010) are the other Filipinos who have won the tournament. Alex Pagulayan was also victorious in 2004 while representing Canada.