Aloysius Yapp delivered a breathtaking performance at the 2025 UK Open Pool Championship, cruising to a commanding 13-1 victory over Spain’s Jonas Souto to claim his first-ever Matchroom Major title.
Final Result
Aloysius Yapp 13–1 Jonas Souto
Yapp, who won the lag, wasted no time asserting control. A precise 7-9 combo in the opening rack set the tone, followed by a two-rack burst to take a quick 3-0 lead. The Singaporean’s break continued to produce ideal layouts, and his clinical cueing saw him stretch the advantage to 5-0 without error.
As Souto remained frozen in his chair, Yapp put together a series of flawless clearances, showcasing his composure and control. By rack six, the score was 6-0.
©Taka G. Wu/Matchroom Pool
In the seventh, Yapp left a tough safety on the 2-ball. Souto eyed a tricky 2-9 combo but failed to convert, handing control straight back to Yapp, who calmly extended his lead to 7-0.
Yapp’s momentum momentarily faltered in rack eight after missing a long shot on the 3-ball. Souto returned to the table with a chance to get on the board but left himself poor shape on the 9, allowing Yapp to steal yet another rack.
Yapp continued his relentless pace, reaching 11-0 before a dry break in the twelfth gave Souto a rare opportunity. A brief safety battle ensued, with Yapp executing a jump shot but once again ending up hooked. Despite escaping the snooker, he failed to pot, but Souto’s attempt at safety was undone by a misjudged angle — the cue ball failed to hide behind the 8-ball, and Yapp cleared the table to reach the hill at 12-0.
©Taka G. Wu/Matchroom Pool
Souto avoided a whitewash in rack 13 after a dry break from Yapp followed by a scratch allowed the Spaniard to finally get on the scoreboard.
In what proved to be the final rack, Souto returned the favour with a dry break of his own. Yapp called a push-out, leading to a brief safety exchange on the 1-ball. Once again, Souto couldn’t lock him out, and Yapp took full advantage, clearing the rack to seal an emphatic 13-1 victory.
As the 9-ball dropped for the final time in Telford, Yapp celebrated not only the end of the final but the realisation of a long-awaited dream. After coming close on numerous occasions, the Reyes Cup MVP now has a Matchroom Major crown to his name — a fitting reward for his remarkable form and dedication.
©Taka G. Wu/Matchroom Pool
NEXT WORLD NINEBALL TOUR EVENT
Mezz Hill-Hill Estonia Open will take place at Hill-Hill Billiards Café in Tallinn, Estonia, with a prize fund of $25,000.
NEXT MATCHROOM EVENT
The next signature Matchroom multi-table open event will be the Crown Jewel of the World Nineball Tour – The 2025 World Pool Championship, held in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. This glorious tournament takes place from July 21-26 at the iconic Green Halls in Jeddah.