The World 9-Ball Championship, held in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from 21/6 to 26/6, is the biggest event in pool billiards, boasting a $1 million prize fund and attracting 128 top players. This year's tournament follows a double-elimination format. Vietnam has five representatives: Duong Quoc Hoang, Nguyen Anh Tuan, Luong Duc Thien, Bui Truong An, and Pham Phuong Nam.
Except for Quoc Hoang, the remaining Vietnamese players are ranked around 100th globally. Consequently, they faced top-ranked opponents in the first round. Thien was matched against Boening, considered the best player of the 2011-2020 decade. The 42-year-old American won the World 9-Ball Championship in 2022 and the World 8-Ball Championship in 2023, among his 100 international titles.
Thien, though without major international titles, played competitively against Boening. At 8-8, the 33-year-old Vietnamese player seized the opportunity in the deciding rack, pocketing the 9-ball with a combination shot. This victory propelled Thien to the second round of the winners' bracket, where he will face Estonian player Denis Grabe.
33-year-old Luong Duc Thien is the current national 9-ball champion, having defeated Quoc Hoang in last month's final. Quoc Hoang, in turn, is the reigning national 10-ball champion, a title he secured by defeating Thien.
Quoc Hoang also advanced to the second round after an easy 9-3 win against South African player JJ Faul. He will next face Daniel Maciol from Poland. Victories in the second round will secure Thien and Quoc Hoang spots in the single-elimination stage.
The remaining three Vietnamese players will compete today, 22/7. Anh Tuan will face Pijus Labutis, and Phuong Nam will play against Aloysius Yapp at 5 PM, Hanoi time. Truong An will then make his debut against Wiktor Zielinski.
The single-elimination stage will feature 64 players, competing to 11 points, except for the final on the evening of 26/7, which will be played to 15 points. The champion will receive $250,000, the runner-up $100,000, and players reaching the single-elimination stage are guaranteed at least $3,500.
Xuan Binh
