Fedor Gorst has been crowned the 2024 World Pool Masters champion following a thrilling 13-12 victory over Joshua Filler in Hildesheim, Germany, break and running for the title to end his wait for a major accolade in the World Nineball Tour era.

World number two Gorst landed his biggest slice of silverware since becoming world champion four years ago at the tender age of 19, winning three clutch racks in succession at the business end of the title decider to clinch the $40,000 top prize.

Filler won the lag but scratched from the opening break, only for Gorst to hook himself on the eight and squander a nine ball bank, allowing Filler to clinch the first rack and produce consecutive break and runs to gain an early 3-0 lead.

Nevertheless, the German home hero’s streak was halted courtesy of a dry break in the fourth and Gorst capitalised on that as well as a couple of missed pots from his usually relentless opponent to win five of the next six racks and move 5-4 in front.

Gorst executed a composed table-length bank on the five ball in the tenth but subsequently opted to play safe on the six, allowing Filler to pull off a sensational jump bank six-nine combination followed by a trademark roar of emotion as he restored parity at five apiece.

A third break and run of the contest followed for the 2021 champion, though, Filler was unable to make full amends as a spurned eight ball allowed Gorst to level at 6-6. However, Gorst failed to make a ball from the break and allowed Filler to clear the table before break and running to take an 8-6 lead.

A tougher layout unfolded for Filler in the proceeding rack and, despite pocketing a precise six ball along the bottom rail, the world number six missed an extremely tough long seven and Gorst picked up the pieces to halve the deficit.

Gorst soon hooked Filler behind the nine ball using bottom left english and that opened up the table for him to level at 8-8. A similar snooker in the following rack was not as successful for the American as Filler pulled off a calm jump on the two ball, although he was unable to emulate that on the three and Gorst claimed a 9-8 lead.

A Gorst break and run doubled his advantage and he was seemingly beginning to take control of the match, although Filler capitalised on a couple of minor errors before compiling his fifth and sixth break and runs to obtain an 11-10 advantage.

A three-nine combination moved the German onto the hill, although a dry break at an unwanted time allowed Gorst back to the table and he cleaned up to move within touching distance.

Gorst was breaking to force a deciding rack but the 25th rack was an extremely intense one as both players felt the pressure, missing multiple attempts at the three ball, before an ultimately crucial miss from Filler left an open table for his opponent to set up an all-important rack.

Gorst failed to pocket the one ball from the break in the decider but a ball did drop for him and, despite the four hiding the two ball, the Moscow-born cueist executed a precise three-rail positional shot and cleaned up from there to reign supreme.

Beforehand, Gorst exacted revenge on arch-rival Jayson Shaw following his quarter-final defeat at last year’s Hanoi Open, with a underwhelming safety shot from Shaw at 7-7 allowing his opponent to reel off three racks in succession and book his place in the final.

‘The Ghost’ had haunted both Mario He and Albin Ouschan in the opening two rounds, brushing the Austrian pairing aside with dominant 9-3 and 10-1, producing frequent break and runs and limiting his opponent’s few opportunities.

Filler, meanwhile, dethroned Ko Pin-Yi in an 11-8 victory, fending off a valiant comeback from the defending champion, who crucially scratched in what proved to be the concluding rack to surrender his title, having already beaten both Ko Ping-Chung and Eklent Kaci.

Attentions now turn to the UK Open Pool Championship in Telford for Matchroom from May 7-12, which takes place following the World Nineball Tour-ranked Scottish Open in Glasgow from May 1-5.