Aloysius Yapp’s reign as Florida Open champion came to an end in the last 64 in Orlando as the Singaporean admitted he felt his luck had finally petered out after falling to Cristopher Tevez.
Yapp, who lifted the tournament’s inaugural title last year, was unable to reproduce the fortune that had helped propel him to the trophy 12 months ago, with defeats to Peru’s Tevez and American BJ Ussery unfolding in Florida.
“I feel like my luck has finally run out,” Yapp said. “I don’t think I played badly, but Cristopher [Tevez] played better when it mattered. Even when he gave me chances, I couldn’t capitalise on them.”
The defeat brought down the curtain on Yapp’s title defence at the Caribe Royale Resort, where he created history at the inaugural event last year by defeating five-time US Open champion Shane van Boening 13-10 in the final.
It was a landmark victory in a breakthrough 2025 campaign for Yapp. The Florida Open triumph was his second major of the season after he had swept aside Jonas Souto Comino 13-1 to claim his maiden UK Open title in May.
Just two weeks after his Florida success, Yapp completed an unprecedented run of three consecutive major open titles by defeating defending champion Fedor Gorst to win the US Open. The $100,000 victory at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City also fulfilled a childhood dream and was crucial in his rise to world number one.
But this time there was no late escape for the defending Florida Open champion. Yapp added: “Now I have to move on. It’s disappointing to lose the title, but I’ll focus on the next tournament and make sure I come back playing better.”
After a season in which Yapp repeatedly found ways to survive when matches appeared to be slipping away, Florida provided a rare reminder that even the world’s most in-form players eventually run out of chances.
And with the Singaporean already having added the World 8-Ball Championship to his 2026 resume earlier this year, there is little doubt that another response will be forthcoming.
