by Matt Lynch • August 10, 2023
2014 World Champion Niels Feijen and recent Sharks International 9-Ball Open victor Ko Ping Chung are among those knocked out on day three at the 2023 European Open Pool Championship in Fulda, Germany.
Four-time Mosconi Cup MVP Feijen, who reached the semi-finals of the World Pool Masters in May, was knocked into the Loser’s Qualification bracket 9-6 by Dimitris Loukatos earlier in the day, leaving a tough task against Anton Raga. Under the bright lights of the main streamed table, the Terminator had his title chances terminated, succumbing to 9-3 loss to the Filipino.
Ko’s recent exploits in Raga’s home nation meant a target on the Chinese Taipei star’s back. With $30,000 World Nineball Tour ranking points putting him in the WNT top 10 in Quezon City, he was unable to strengthen his lead in Fulda. Defeat to German European Open Qualifier Can Salim on Wednesday led to a 9-5 final blow delivered on Thursday afternoon by Bulgarian Georgi Georgiev.
Skyler Woodward bucked an unwelcomed-trend of falling into the one-loss round – a feat achieved on the way to the semi-finals at both the UK Open and Spanish Open Pool Championships. 2015 World Snooker Champion Stuart Bingham was beaten by the Blue Grass Badass – who could secure his place in the 2023 Mosconi Cup with a strong run this week. Bingham’s Nineball adventure was cut short by Norway’s Mats Schjetne – but with impressive wins over Lo Ho Sum and Sullivan Clark – Ball Run will likely soon find himself back on the grey baize.
Pijus Labutis enjoyed a career-high run to the semi-finals of the Spanish Open Pool Championship, but the Lithuanian was unable to follow up on success in Lugo. Estonian prodigy Karl Gnadeberg inflicted a 9-3 defeat in the second round, and after fighting through Gabriel Vasilache and Do The Kien, Vietnamese star Duong Quoc Hoang proved too much – running out a 9-6 winner.
Shane Van Boening defeated James Aranas to reach the last 64 – before the Philippines’ World Cup of Pool champion headed home to Finland’s Jani Siekkinen. World Nineball Tour number one Francisco Sanchez Ruiz advanced past Emil André Gangfløt, whilst defending champion Albin Ouschan put a dent in Hunter Lombardo’s Mosconi Cup hopes for Team USA.
Fedor Gorst, Ko Pin Yi, Jayson Shaw and home favourite Joshua Filler are among the names who will be contesting the last 64.
