Fedor Gorst was crowned the 2024 World Pool Champion after defeating Eklent Kaçi at the Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal City Sports Hall in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, oin partnership with the Saudi Arabian Billiard & Snooker Federation (SABSF) and the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Sport.
RESULT
Fedor Gorst vs Eklent Kaçi 15-14
Gorst capitalised on winning the lag, securing an early 3-0 lead against Eklent Kaçi. However, Kaçi fought back in the fourth rack, escaping Gorst’s tight safety on the 2-ball. Undeterred, Gorst quickly reclaimed control, surviving a safety from Kaçi on the 2-ball in the next rack to extend his lead to 5-1.
©Taka Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport
Despite Kaçi claiming a few racks, Gorst showcased his prowess with a series of spectacular shots. A high-flying jump shot on the 2-ball in rack 8, followed by another jump shot on the 3-ball in rack 13, brought the score to 8-4.
Kaçi mounted a spirited comeback, winning two consecutive racks, but a costly error in rack 15 saw him park the 9-ball next to the pocket. Seizing the opportunity, Gorst executed a brilliant carom shot off the 3-ball to sink the 9-ball, pushing the score to 9-6.
The battle intensified as the players exchanged racks, reaching rack 19. Kaçi’s repeated mistake of parking the 4-ball gave Gorst yet another opening to clear the table. Determined, Kaçi took advantage of a dry break from Gorst to clean up the rack. However, a scratch on Kaçi’s break allowed Gorst to keep his lead and execute two break-and-runs, extending his lead to 13-9.
©Taka Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport
A misstep from Gorst on the 1-ball during his break gave Kaçi another chance to steal victory, allowing him to charge through the racks. The composed Albanian thrilled the audience with the shot of the tournament—a two-rail kick to a 2-9 combo—levelling the score at 13-13. Maintaining his momentum, Kaçi reached the hill first by clearing yet another rack, but a dry break handed Gorst the opportunity he needed to tie the score at hill-hill.
The final rack saw a nail-biting exchange of safety shots from the two young finalists, but an accidental scratch dashed Kaçi’s hopes of becoming World Champion. With ball in hand, Gorst methodically cleared the table one last time, to earn his second World Pool Championship title.
This victory not only crowns Fedor Gorst as the top player on the World Nineball Tour but also etches his name in history as the youngest ever to win multiple World Pool Championship titles.
©Taka Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport
NEXT WORLD NINEBALL TOUR EVENT
Knight Shot Dubai Open will take place at the Jayson Shaw’s Billiard Lounge, Dubai, UAE from June 12-15 with a prize fund of $25,000.
NEXT MATCHROOM EVENT
The next signature Matchroom multi-table open event will be the European Open Championship in Fulda, Germany. The tournament takes place from August 6-1 at the Hotel Esperanto.