The double elimination stage of the 2024 World Pool Championship came to a close on Wednesday in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Upsets continued to plague the field vying for one of the largest-ever prizes given out in professional pool – $250,000 to the winner.
Two-time world champion Albin Ouschan fell to Johann Chua in the losers’ qualification round, 9-3. Another couple of former winners – Niels Feijen and Darren Appleton – also crashed out. Appleton reached the hill against Filipino Patric Gonzales. Feijen lost to another Filipino player, James Aranas.
Fedor Gorst, who won this event the last time it was held in the Middle East, also nearly fell out of contention. Kyle Amoroto took him hill-hill in the losers’ qualification round, but the Russian-born 24-year-old prevailed. A pair of older world champions – 1996 winner Ralf Souquet and 2004 winner Alex Pagulayan – also came through the losers’ qualification bracket on Wednesday.
Other notable absentees from the second stage of the event include Chang Jung-Lin, John Morra, Scottish Open winner Duong Quoc Hoang and American Mosconi Cup teammates Skyler Woodward, Shane Wolford and Tyler Styer.
Reigning world champion Francisco Sánchez Ruíz came through the opening stage comfortably. He downed Amoroto in the winners’ qualification round, 9-5. The winner of this event before him, Shane Van Boening, also is yet to lose. He took care of Francesco Candela, 9-3, on Wednesday afternoon local time.
Only Ouschan out of the world’s top-10 ranked players per Matchroom’s World Nineball Rankings didn’t reach the Last 64.
A few young names who’ve reached breakthrough performances in recent months also continued to thrive in Jeddah.
Moritz Neuhausen won his maiden ranking title in Medellin, Colombia, in February and beat Billy Thorpe on Wednesday in the winners’ qualification stage, 9-7. Winner of Matchroom’s last major event, the UK Open, Robbie Capito also stayed unbeaten at the World Pool Championship with a 9-7 triumph against Wolford.
Finally, young Lithuanian pro Pijus Labutis dominated Aranas, 9-3, to advance to the Last 64. Labutis strung together a few deep runs earlier in the year. He finished second at the Derby City Classic and the Diamond Open Nineball Players Championship in Philadelphia. He was also a semi-finalist at the UK Open.
Underdogs to watch
It might be tough to consider a twice-runner-up at this event an underdog, but Kuo Po-Cheng fits that bill.
In 2005, he played one of the best World Pool Championship finals ever against then-16-year-old Wu Jiaqing. Kuo, then a young man himself in his late-20s, held a 16-12 lead in a race-to-17 but went on to lose. He returned to the final in 2010 and fell to Francisco Bustamante.
Almost two decades since his first final at the event, he returned this year in a rare Matchroom event appearance. He’s unbeaten so far in Jeddah. He upset Woodward, 9-4, in the first round on Monday and advanced to the second stage of the event with a 9-3 dismantling of Dimitri Jungo on Wednesday.
Young Turkish pro Mustafa Alnar is another one to watch. He bounced back from a loss to Brit Elliott Sanderson and won 9-4 in the losers’ qualification round to clinch a Last 64 berth. He finished fifth at the FSR Nineball Open and ninth at the Marina Pool Open earlier in the year.
Also keep tabs on a pair of younger brothers – Kledio Kaci and Ko Ping-Han. Kledio’s older sibling, Eklent Kaci, is a twice world champion in 10-ball. Both remained undefeated through three days in Jeddah. Ko Ping-Han is the youngest of the three Ko brothers. The trio all cruised into the Last 64 with wins on Wednesday in the winners’ qualification stage.
Lastly, a teenage phenom from the Philippines is making waves. Albert Manas, who also goes by AJ, came back from 7-3 down against Chang Jung-Lin to book a place in the Last 64 on Wednesday. He upset Morra earlier in the week, hill-hill.
