Carlo Biado exacted revenge on Germany’s Moritz Neuhausen to land his maiden World Nineball Tour ranking title at the Raxx MVP Tour Open on Long Island, New York.
Biado trailed 10-4 against the teenage sensation in the title decider but battled back from behind to come through a hill-hill thriller and seal the $9,000 winner’s cheque.
An adequate safety shot from former world champion Biado created him a deserved opportunity when six racks adrift, leaving his opponent behind the eight ball and unable to execute an escape.
Biado’s defensive play helped him mount a comeback as he came through numerous safety exchanges to move within one of Neuhausen at 10-9, only for the German to intervene and eventually put together a couple of racks to move onto the hill at 12-10.
Nonetheless, Neuhausen soon received his opportunity to close out one of the biggest titles of his career but a dramatic rack witnessed him miss a relatively routine eight ball as well as a match-winning nine ball.
Neuhausen did execute an incredible bank shot on the eight ball to develop that chance, although ultimately handed the Filipino a lifeline. Biado grasped that opening with both hands, putting together successive break and runs to prevail.
Neuhausen had handed Biado a heavy 9-4 defeat in the hot-seat match, having already beaten the likes of Fedor Gorst, Alexander Kazakis and fellow teenager Emil-Andre Gangflot during an exceptional campaign.
Biado, meanwhile, needed to overcome Kazakis after being banished onto the losers’ side following prior victories over Vitaliy Patsura, Oliver Szolnoki, Max Lechner, Shane Wolford and David Alcaide.
Gorst was unable to seal a third WNT ranking accolade of the season following back-to-back deciding rack losses against Neuhausen and Kazakis, with Greece’s Kazakis securing a third-place finish.
The Connecticut Open acts as the next World Nineball Tour ranking tournament from September 22-23 at Jayson Shaw’s US 1 Billiards.
