Duong Quoc Hoang, known as Hoang "Sao", secured the Premier League Pool 2026 title by defeating Francisco Sanchez Ruiz 7-4 in the final. The Vietnamese top player started strong, winning the first three games and building a substantial 6-2 lead. Despite a challenging shot in the 9th game, Sanchez Ruiz, a former world number one, leveraged his experience to narrow the score to 3-6.

In the 10th game, Hoang "Sao" seemed poised to close out the match but missed the final ball, allowing his opponent to further reduce the deficit to 4-6. Despite significant pressure as Sanchez Ruiz gained momentum in the 11th game, Quoc Hoang remained composed, making no mistakes and concluding the match with a 7-4 victory.

Quoc Hoang (center) celebrates his Premier League Pool championship in Florida, US, on 22/2. *Photo: PLP*

Hoang's path to the final showcased his impressive form in the group stage. He defeated a strong field, including Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, defending champion Moritz Neuhausen, Eklent Kaci, Chris Melling, AJ Manas, and Albert Januarta. This made him the first Vietnamese player to reach the Premier League Pool semifinals. In a thrilling rematch against 18-year-old Indonesian player Albert Januarta, Quoc Hoang secured a 7-6 victory to advance.

The Premier League Pool 2026 marks Duong Quoc Hoang's biggest international title to date, following his Scottish Open championship in 2024. This invitational tournament, part of the World Nineball Tour, was organized by Matchroom from 19-23/2 in Florida, US. It brought together 16 of the world's top 9-ball pool players who competed in a multi-day round-robin format to determine qualifiers for the knock-out rounds.

The Premier League Pool features a rigorous multi-stage format. After 15 matches in round one, six players with the lowest points were eliminated, with the top 10 advancing to round two. In round two, these 10 players competed in a single round-robin over two days, and the top six progressed to round three. The six remaining players then played another single round-robin over one day, with the top four moving to the knock-out stage. For tie-breaking in the group stages, criteria included: game difference (RD), games won (RW), and head-to-head record.

For his championship win, Duong Quoc Hoang earned a 25,000 USD prize. He also became the first Asian player to win the tournament. Historically, the highest placement for Vietnamese players in this competition was 11th, achieved by Luong Duc Thien in 2023 and Nguyen Anh Tuan in 2024.

The Premier League Pool is often likened to the "English Premier League" of professional pool, known for its high-intensity format where players consistently face top-ranked opponents. This victory in the US not only solidifies Vietnam's standing in world billiards but also marks a significant step for Hoang "Sao" in his pursuit of international excellence.

Vy Anh