Brian Jeffrey
At the Hanoi Open 2024, three Filipino players and the renowned ‘Prince of Pool’ Ko Pin Yi have secured their places in the semifinals, while last year’s champion, Jason Shaw, along with Shane Van Boening, has exited the tournament.
Shane Van Boening, a five-time US Open champion from the USA, faced an unexpected defeat in the Round of 16, falling to Carlo Vergara of the Philippines with a score of 7-10.
In the quarterfinals, Jason Shaw, the reigning Hanoi Open champion from the UK, engaged in a tightly contested match against Ko Pin Yi from Chinese Taipei. The game went down to the wire, but ultimately, Ko Pin Yi prevailed with a 10-9 victory, thus ending Shaw’s title defense.
The semifinals and finals are set to take place today (October 13), where Ko Pin Yi will go against three strong contenders from the Philippines: Johan Chua, Carlo Biado, and Jefrey Roda.
In their quarterfinals matches, Johan Chua triumphed easily over Kaci with a score of 10-6, Jefrey Roda edged past Carlo Vergara with a 10-8 win, and Carlo Biado defeated former world number one Francisco Sanchez Ruiz 10-5. This sets up semifinal pairings of Biado against Johan Chua and Ko Pin Yi facing off against Jefrey Roda.
During the opening ceremony for the Hanoi Open Pool Championship 2024, Do Dinh Hong, the Director of Hanoi’s Department of Culture and Sports, highlighted the event’s increasing popularity and its role in promoting the sport.
“This event is an opportunity for us to present a vibrant and modern Hanoi to our international friends, showcasing the beauty of our capital, the richness of our traditional culture, and the welcoming nature of the people of Hanoi—a peaceful city, always eager to greet visitors,” stated Mr. Hong.
Taking place from October 8 to 13, this year’s Hanoi Open Pool Championship features 256 participants from 33 nations, boasting a remarkable prize pool exceeding 5 billion VND. The tournament has drawn the attention of top pool players worldwide, generating excitement among both Vietnamese and international 9-ball enthusiasts.
