The inaugural staging of the Taom Maxrack Helsinki Open takes place from August 1-4 at the Biljardi 247 hall in Finland, the latest World Nineball Tour ranking tournament to be held in Europe.
Former world number one and world champion Francisco Sanchez Ruiz headlines the 128-player field in the Finnish capital, which also includes David Alcaide, Wiktor Zielinski, Aloysius Yapp and UK Open champion Robbie Capito.
The event acts as ideal preparation for players ahead of next week’s prestigious European Open Championship, with other notable entrants including Bucharest Open winner Mickey Krause, Pijus Labutis, Alex Kazakis, Oliver Szolnoki and the legendary Ralf Souquet.
Former Women’s World Championship semi-finalist Seo Seoa has travelled from South Korea to compete, while Japan’s Naoyuki Oi and Masato Yoshioka have also flown from the Far East for the €50,000 ranking event.
Amongst the Finnish players competing on home soil are the 2001 world champion Mika Immonen, the consistent Jani Uski, UK Open semi-finalist Petri Makkonen and teenage sensation Riku Romppanen.
Proceedings will be race-to-11 racks in the double elimination phase – and race-to-eight racks on the one-loss side – until 32 players remain, when the event becomes single elimination.
Coverage will be shown via the BilliardTube YouTube channel throughout the duration of the weekend, with the eventual champion receiving roughly $8,600 in prize money.
HELSINKI OPEN 2024
Draw Bracket
Double Elimination
Click here for the full draw bracket via the Cue Score website
Single Elimination
Last 32
🇪🇸 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz 9-6 Jere Virtaranta 🇫🇮
🇵🇹 Joao Grilo 4-9 Karl Gnadeberg 🇪🇪
🇬🇷 Alex Kazakis 9-2 Nicholas Tan 🇸🇬
🇩🇰 Mickey Krause 9-5 Lasse Alvesalo 🇫🇮
🇱🇹 Pijus Labutis 9-1 Valterri Virtanen 🇫🇮
🇳🇿 Sullivan Clark 8-9 Robbie Capito 🇭🇰
🇩🇪 Ralf Souquet 9-3 Markus Leppiaho 🇫🇮
🇸🇬 Aloysius Yapp 4-9 Casper Matikanen 🇫🇮
🇵🇱 Wiktor Zielinski 9-2 Denis Grabe 🇪🇪
🇬🇷 Dimitris Loukatos 8-9 Jose Alberto Delgado 🇪🇸
🇨🇦 John Morra 9-8 Cliff Castelein 🇧🇪
🇪🇸 Jonas Souto Comino 8-9 Riku Rompannen 🇫🇮
🇯🇵 Masato Yoshioka 8-9 Kostas Koukiadakis 🇬🇷
🇯🇵 Naoyuki Oi 9-1 Arseni Sevastyanov 🇫🇮
🇭🇺 Oliver Szolnoki 9-8 Max Eberle 🇺🇸
🇪🇸 David Alcaide 9-3 Mikko Jantti 🇫🇮
Last 16
🇪🇸 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz 9-0 Karl Gnadeberg 🇪🇪
🇬🇷 Alex Kazakis 9-0 Mickey Krause 🇩🇰
🇱🇹 Pijus Labutis 7-9 Robbie Capito 🇭🇰
🇩🇪 Ralf Souquet 9-6 Casper Matikainen 🇫🇮
🇵🇱 Wiktor Zielinski 7-9 Jose Alberto Delgado 🇪🇸
🇨🇦 John Morra 3-9 Riku Rompannen 🇫🇮
🇬🇷 Kostas Koukiadakis 2-9 Naoyuki Oi 🇯🇵
🇭🇺 Oliver Szolnoki 3-9 David Alcaide 🇪🇸
Quarter-Finals
🇪🇸 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz 10-6 Alex Kazakis 🇬🇷
🇭🇰 Robbie Capito 10-3 Ralf Souquet 🇩🇪
🇪🇸 Jose Alberto Delgado 9-10 Riku Rompannen 🇫🇮
🇯🇵 Naoyuki Oi 10-8 David Alcaide 🇪🇸
Semi-Finals
🇪🇸 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz 10-8 Robbie Capito 🇭🇰
🇫🇮 Riku Rompannen 2-10 Naoyuki Oi 🇯🇵
Final
🇪🇸 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz 8-11 Naoyuki Oi 🇯🇵
Prize Fund
Champion – €8,000
Runner-up – €5,400
Semi-finalists – €3,500
Quarter-finalists – €2,200
Last 16 – €1,200
Last 32 – €700
Total – €50,000
