Four players remain in the reckoning for US Open Pool Championship glory at Harrah’s Resort and Casino in Atlantic City, with the quartet eyeing the $50,000 top prize and the Barry Behrman trophy.
Much like the World Pool Championship semi-finals in February, a new name is guaranteed to be etched onto the prestigious slice of silverware and receive the green jacket from last year’s champion Francisco Sanchez Ruiz come Saturday evening.
Both Fedor Gorst and Aleksa Pecelj enter uncharted territory at the sport’s most historic major tournament and compete in their maiden major semi-finals in the World Nineball Tour era, while Ko Ping-Chung and Aloysius Yapp have reached this stage in either of the previous two stagings.
FEDOR GORST VS ALEKSA PECELJ
“It was a dream and it still is a dream, but I’m here to win the tournament so hopefully my dreams come true,” expressed Gorst following his hard-fought quarter-final victory over Robbie Capito. His childhood aspirations are two matches away from becoming reality at pool’s oldest major.
Gorst endured quarter-final losses at both the Spanish Open and the European Open, the latter of which was a hill-hill defeat against Joshua Filler, but the former world champion has now overcome that hurdle and is surely an overwhelming favourite to emerge victorious.
Nevertheless, Aleksa Pecelj has shown the qualities of a champion throughout the duration of the tournament. The Serbian youngster produced a six-pack in his emphatic last 16 victory over Ralf Souquet, before battling back from 6-2 behind to beat Jayson Shaw in the quarter-finals.
Pecelj was struggling with the break earlier in the tournament but worked hard on the practice table and amended those problems. His break will need to be working well in the semi-finals against an opponent who has an unbelievable potting ability.
Gorst and Pecelj competed a junior level together and know exactly what one another brings to the table. Pecelj has produced the underdog story of this year’s US Open but you feel his remarkable campaign will come to an end against the world number eight.
Prediction: 11-7 Gorst
KO PING-CHUNG VS ALOYSIUS YAPP
Ko Ping-Chung was the first member of the world’s top ten to endure defeat during the double elimination phase, being banished onto the one-loss side by 2001 champion Corey Deuel, although Ko remained resilient and finds himself in a second successive semi-final.
Ko was involved in a thrilling semi-final versus Max Lechner twelve months ago and his contest against 2021 runner-up Aloysius Yapp could be a repeat of that. Singapore’s Yapp has struggled with the break this week but still finds himself amongst the final four.
Ko has beaten three of the world’s top twelve during the single elimination phase as the Taiwanese sensation has really grown into the tournament, while Yapp has barely broken sweat and not yet had his back against the wall on his way to the penultimate hurdle.
Former world 10-ball champion Ko’s relatively comfortable victory over Joshua Filler in the last 16 stamped down his marker as a title contender, and he has the capability to run racks at the perfect time as he showed in his last eight win over Lechner.
Yapp has been open and honest regarding his struggles with the breaking format this tournament and the amount of dry breaks could prove the deciding factor between two top Asian talents.
Prediction: 11-10 Ko
