Nothing compares in terms of prestige when it comes to US Open Championship finals day and four players will be vying to etch their names into those history books in Atlantic City.
Defending champion Fedor Gorst’s pursuit for back-to-back titles reaches its business end, while Reyes Cup stars Aloysius Yapp, Johann Chua and Ko Pin-Yi have their sights fixated on a maiden US Open crown.
Whoever walks down the Atlantic City boardwalk donning the green jacket with the famous trophy in their hands, will earn themselves a sumptuous $100,000, the richest prize in the US Open’s 49-year history.
ALOYSIUS YAPP VS KO PIN-YI
Ko Pin-Yi has an opportunity to follow in his brother Ko Ping-Chung’s footsteps, which would induct them as the only siblings to become US Open champions, although overcoming the seemingly unstoppable Aloysius Yapp is going to prove an onerous battle.
UK Open and Florida Open champion Yapp is currently enjoying an unprecedented 25-match winning streak in major open championships on the World Nineball Tour, something that appeared to be unimaginable in a game which requires as much fortunate as nineball pool.
However, the world number three notably brushed aside Jefrey Roda in the last 16 and achieved a statement victory over Joshua Filler to reach a third US Open semi-final. He will be hoping for a contrasting outcome to two years ago when he was shut out by a relentless Ko Ping-Chung.
It has been a remarkable route to a first ever US Open semi-final for 2015 world champion Ko. He was beaten in the winners’ qualification round by Sullivan Clark in a shock defeat, but bounced back with impressive wins over Shane van Boening, Eklent Kaci and Jayson Shaw on his way to the quarter-finals, where he saw off Denis Grabe.
Dominating the initial exchanges of the contest could be pivotal for Ko as allowing Yapp to obtain the early ascendancy could see him run away an emphatic winner. Yapp has the overriding momentum and is playing the better pool at this moment in time.
Prediction: 11-6 Yapp
FEDOR GORST VS JOHANN CHUA
Fedor Gorst could emulate the legendary Efren Reyes, Nick Varner and Shane van Boening in reaching a third consecutive US Open Championship final. That would be an extraordinary achievement in today’s pool landscape and something testament to his undeniable greatness in recent years.
Nonetheless, world number four Johann Chua has the chance to land the biggest accolade of his career on Saturday, trouser his largest career payday of $100,000 and become only the third US Open champion to hail from the Philippines, accompanying the great Reyes and reigning world champion Carlo Biado.
Gorst, who could become just the fifth back-to-back champion, was dissatisfied by his performances on the penultimate day as he battled back from 9-6 and 6-2 behind to beat Wiktor Zielinski and Michael Baoanan in hill-hill epics. Chua, meanwhile, was immense as he staved off Aleksa Pecelj’s comeback prior to thrashing Niels Feijen in the quarter-finals.
Two-time world champion Gorst discussed becoming distracted by annoyances in both his last 16 and quarter-final matches. Those lapses in concentration affected his game and proved detrimental, with the passionate American crowd perhaps getting him across the finishing line.
Chua notably defeated Gorst in the Dubai Open final last month, compiling three successive break and runs as he won seven straight racks from 6-6. The Hanoi Open champion may require a similar surge to emerge victorious this time around too.
Prediction: 11-10 Gorst
