Prepare for an exhilarating atmosphere as the Hanoi Open Pool Championship reaches its conclusion. Four Asians remain in the reckoning for what has already become one of the most sought-after titles in front of an invigorating Vietnamese audience.
With the highly-anticipated inaugural Reyes Cup promptly approaching, the Asians have instilled elements of doubt into their opposition camp as Ko Pin-Yi and Carlo Biado both defeated European opponents to join Johann Chua and Jefrey Roda in an unprecedented all-Asian semi-finals.
First and foremost nonetheless, three Reyes Cup stars possess an opportunity to enhance their confidence before heading to Manila, while Roda could become the latest underdog to snap off one of the World Nineball Tour’s open championships this year.
KO PIN-YI VS JEFREY RODA
Ko Pin-Yi received a tremendous reception from the passionate Vietnamese fans during his comeback win over Jayson Shaw. His name being chanted undoubtedly spurred him onto a memorable victory, during which he overturned 5-1 and 9-6 deficits. Perhaps the Taiwanese sensation will prove to be Vietnam’s chosen champion.
Former world champion Ko has been embroiled in closely-contested affairs against Tyler Styer, David Alcaide and Shaw on his way to the semi-finals, somehow engineering a safe passage through and showcasing his irrefutable grit and determination to prevail. His semi-final opponent displayed similar qualities in his hard-fought quarter-final win over qualifier Harry Vergara.
Roda, one of the most technically-acclaimed players on the circuit due to his snooker background, enters uncharted territory having reached his maiden major semi-final but that was on the horizon. The Filipino, a quarter-finalist in August’s US Open, continues to evolve into a formidable force to be reckoned with.
Ko has quite conceivably been the superlative cueist throughout the week, yet Roda is making inroads and appears to be on the cusp of greatness. His safety game unravels opportunities for him, often proving to be the decisive factor, and perhaps his anticipated moment in the spotlight arrives in Vietnam.
Prediction: 11-9 Roda
JOHANN CHUA VS CARLO BIADO
Johann Chua and Carlo Biado will be teammates for the upcoming Reyes Cup but contemporarily they remain fierce rivals ahead of a mouth-watering semi-final showdown. Neither Chua nor Biado surrender the big shots and the highlight reel could be as long as the match itself.
Chua has stamped his authority as one of the most consistent operators in recent months, reaching World Championship and US Open semi-finals, and the flamboyant Filipino has continued that into the Hanoi Open. He has never appeared in any trouble throughout, notably dropping only eleven racks in brushing aside Chien Ching-Ju, Jeffrey Ignacio and Kledio Kaci.
His relaxed approach makes him a menacing opponent but Chua faces a daunting prospect in locking horns with his accomplished senior. Biado has grown into the tournament in a way in which champion’s often do and tends to squirrel away his most prolific stuff for the business end of major tournaments.
Biado battled back from 8-5 behind against Filipino phenom Albert Manas in the last 32 and then from 7-2 down against Ko Ping-Chung. His quarter-final victory over Francisco Sanchez Ruiz was a more routine one, although Biado has demonstrated both his front-running capabilities and his bouncebackability and that makes him extremely dangerous.
Prediction: 11-7 Biado
