It’s often prepare for the unexpected but on this occasion the unexpected has already unfolded. Four players remain in the reckoning for glory at the UK Open Pool Championship and none of them have major accolades to their names.
Every member of the top 16 on the World Nineball Tour rankings has arrived and departed the Telford International Centre. Four contenders have ousted the nineball heavyweights and now prepare for the biggest day of their careers, with $30,000 on the line.
In a tournament that has created connotations of last year’s Spanish Open due to its sheer unpredictability, there’s one constant and that’s Pijus Labutis. Him reaching the semi-finals was unforeseen in that instance, in complete contrast to this time around.
Lithuania’s Labutis will encounter the giant-killing Robbie Capito in a mouth-watering semi-final, while Mieszko Fortunski and Petri Makkonen accompany Capito in competing in their maiden major semi-finals in the World Nineball Tour era.
MIESZKO FORTUNSKI VS PETRI MAKKONEN
Finland’s Petri Makkonen has provided the most fascinating fairytale in this year’s UK Open. Having opted against becoming a WNT professional at the beginning of this year, Makkonen needed to come through qualifying but has grasped his opportunity with both hands since defeating Mikael Oegaard in Norway.
Makkonen has been regarded as a capable player since winning the World Cup of Pool alongside Mika Immonen twelve years ago, although no one expected his moment in the limelight to materialise this week as he encounters Mieszko Fortunski for a spot in a major final.
Despite Makkonen having claimed the scalps of world number one Francisco Sanchez Ruiz and two-time world champion Albin Ouschan, Fortunski has shown the qualities of a champion. He has coasted into the semi-finals, notably compiling four break and runs in a statement victory over Ko Ping-Chung in the last 16.
Nevertheless, Makkonen needed to hold his nerve to stave off a valiant comeback against Albin Ouschan in the quarter-finals, clearing the table in a composed manner after a dry break from Ouschan in the deciding rack, whereas Fortunski is yet to have his back up against the wall.
Both semi-finalists were banished onto the one-loss side during the double elimination phase but responded in unwavering fashion, and neither cueist has looked back since. They’ve taken down major champions between them and thoroughly warranted their places in the semi-finals.
Makkonen has conquered Polish players to achieve his greatest accolades, defeating Wojciech Szewczyk and Karol Skowerski to win the World Cup of Pool and Konrad Juszczyszyn to land his only Euro Tour title. He will require something special to continue that trend though against a sizeable favourite in Fortunski.
Prediction: 11-7 Fortunski
PIJUS LABUTIS VS ROBBIE CAPITO
Robbie Capito will be brimming with confidence after stunning both Fedor Gorst and Joshua Filler during his finest hour. A US Open quarter-finalist last year, the 22-year-old has eclipsed that achievement in Telford, and now meets Pijus Labutis in an intriguing semi-final showdown.
Labutis has been simmering beneath the surface for the last twelve months, following his Spanish Open semi-final last summer with runs to ranking event finals at the Derby City Classic and Super Billiards Expo. The Lithuanian was striking the ball too well to not make an impression in the season’s first open championship.
Labutis toppled both Albin Ouschan and Fedor Gorst during those Spanish Open exploits and his quarter-final victory was another indication of his undeniable talents, whereas Capito attributed his refined mental strength and endurance to those accomplished wins over two world champions.
Both Labutis and Capito have both set their sights on establishing unassailable leads throughout the tournament, breaking well during the early exchanges and therefore relieving the pressure should mistakes creep into their games during the business end of contests.
Simple but efficient safeties from Capito were an indispensable element of his game in his astonishing victories over two of the world’s premier players. He executed the same natural-roll safety numerous times against Filler, hiding the object ball on each occasion and creating opportunity.
Despite the seismic scalps for the Hong Kong youngster with Filipino blood, the Lithuanian number one has been knocking on the door throughout the season and perhaps that door finally moves ajar in the West Midlands.
Prediction: 11-9 Labutis
