Francisco Sanchez Ruiz got off to the perfect start as he began the defense of his World Pool Championship title at Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal City Sports Hall, Jeddah, in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, 3-8 June.
In partnership with the Saudi Arabian Billiard & Snooker Federation (SABSF) and the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Sport, the crown jewel of the World Nineball Tour will be available through leading global broadcasters, including Sky Sports, SSC, Shahid VIP Sports, MENA, and DAZN.
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The defending champion, Ruiz, began with a swift 2-0 lead against the Saudi Arabian Waleed Albalkhi on the TV table. However, his lead was cut short when Albalkhi stole the third rack with an excellent 5-9 combo. Undeterred, "El Ferrari" Ruiz accelerated through the subsequent racks to secure his place in the Last 64 stage.
On Table 1, Ko Pin Yi made a remarkable comeback after trailing behind 6-2 against the Filipino cueist Jeffrey Ignacio, who dominated the early rounds. Rack 9 proved to be the turning point, as Ko Pin Yi regained his momentum with a spectacular jump shot on the 2-ball after overcoming a hook. Although Ignacio managed to level the score in rack 14, Ko Pin Yi regained control, clearing the final racks to also reach the Last 64.
Jayson Shaw, the 2024 Team Europe Mosconi Cup captain, delivered a classic 'Eagle Eye' performance, triumphing over Jeffrey Roda in the opening round. Roda missed a crucial chance in rack 10, allowing Shaw to fluke the rack. Shaw then executed two break-and-runs to reach the hill, claiming his third and final consecutive rack.
In contrast, the other Mosconi Cup captain, Skyler Woodward, faced disappointment as he was defeated 4-9 by Chinese Taipei’s Kuo Po Cheng. The day continued with upsets, including the former 2017 World Pool Champion, Carlo Biado, losing 5-9 to the Dutch cueist Marc Teutscher.
This year’s World Pool Championship continues with a double-elimination structure. The evening session saw half of the 128-player field play their opening matches. The 32 losing players moved to the Losers' Round 1 the next day, while the winners face off in the Winners' Qualification later this Thursday.
Action resumes tomorrow with Shane Van Boening on the TV table, facing Saudi Arabian pool player Fahad Alharbi at 1 pm KSA / 11 am BST UK time, available on Sky Sports, SSC, Shahid VIP Sports, MENA, and DAZN.
Tuesday 4th June - 13:00 pm KSA time - Afternoon Session
TV Table - Where to Watch
Shane Van Boening vs Fahad Alharbi
John Morra vs Albert Manas
Chang Jung-Lin vs Othman Alzahrani
Table 1 - Live on Matchroom Pool YouTube
Pijus Labutis vs Pia Filler
Anton Raga vs Bernie Regalario
Mieszko Forunski vs Fitim Haradinaj
Aleksa Pecelj vs Sam Henderson
Table 2 - Live on Matchroom Multi Sport YouTube
Shane Wolford vs Alvin Anggito
Francesco Candela vs Patric Gonzales
Elliott Sanderson vs Luong Duc Thien
Fedor Gorst vs Mustafa Alnar
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This article first appeared on SPM Billiards Magazine - Click here to visit site..