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Defending champion Moritz Neuhausen’s 2026 Premier League Pool campaign came to an devestating end on Day Three, as the German suffered four defeats from five matches to miss out on a place in Stage Two.
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Neuhausen’s title defence unravelled following losses to Thorsten Hohmann, Robbie Capito and Jesús Atencio, before a decisive hill-hill defeat to Pijus Labutis — a repeat of last year’s Hanoi Open final — ultimately confirmed his exit from the competition.
Reflecting on the disappointment, Neuhausen said: “It’s tough to go out this early, especially as defending champion. But that’s the nature of pool — the level is so high and the margins are so small. I didn’t find my best game this week and in this format you get punished for that. Now it’s about resetting, putting in the work and coming back stronger at the next event.”
Neuhausen was joined on the sidelines by AJ Manas, John Morra, Jesús Atencio and Thorsten Hohmann, while Kledio Kaçi endured a difficult campaign, finishing bottom of the standings to bow out at the end of Stage One.
Moritz Neuhausen｜©Matchroom Pool
In stark contrast to his younger brother’s exit, Eklent Kaçi continued his commanding charge at the summit. The Albanian extended his remarkable winning streak to 13 consecutive matches, completing another perfect five-from-five day to close Stage One as table leader and firm favourite heading into the next phase.
Kaçi said: “I feel very confident right now. I’ve been putting in a lot of practice before this event and I can see the difference in my game. I feel more in control and more disciplined. Of course, in a race to five anything can happen and you need a bit of luck at times, but I’m playing well and making good decisions. My focus is simple — keep winning, keep earning points.”
Albert Januarta｜©Matchroom Pool
Albert Januarta emerged as one of the standout performers of Stage One, with the youngest player in the field securing progression in a hugely impressive Premier League debut.
Januarta said: “I’m really happy to make it through. The field is so strong, so to reach Stage Two means a lot to me. But this is only the beginning. It will be even tougher from here and I need to raise my level again. I’ll keep working hard and give everything I have.”
Jesús Atencio produced a determined turnaround to secure his place in the top ten and advance to Stage Two. His fate came down to the final match of the day against John Morra, where he held his nerve to clinch the decisive victory and claim the last qualifying spot by one rack difference.
Atencio said: “This tournament has been really tough, but I’m grateful to make it through. The first day didn’t go my way at all, but I told myself to stay focused and keep believing. I’ve been practising after each session and today every single match felt like a battle. I’m proud to qualify, but I know the pressure only increases from here. I need to be ready for what’s coming next.”
Jesus Atencio｜©Matchroom Pool
Stage Two of the 2026 Premier League Pool begins tomorrow, with the stakes rising further as four more players will be eliminated end of tomorrow in the race for Finals Night.
The 2026 Premier League Pool returns on Saturday, 21 February from 12 EST on WNT TV, along with Viaplay, Fan Duel, and Nova. Find where you can watch in your country here.
You can track the action on all 183 matches at Premier League Pool via the WNT Live Scores website here.
For all the latest updates, follow Matchroom Pool on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube
2026 撞球超級聯賽 – 衛冕冠軍 Neuhausen 慘遭爆冷出局 無緣衛冕
衛冕冠軍 Moritz Neuhausen 的在接連敗給Thorsten Hohmann, Robbie Capito 與 Jesús Atencio 開始崩盤。隨後，他又在與 Pijus Labutis 的決勝局中落敗。最終他在五場比賽中輸掉了四場，他的衛冕之路在比賽第三日以慘痛的失利告終，無緣第二階段。
談到失利，Neuhausen 說道：“這麼早就被淘汰確實很艱難，尤其作為衛冕冠軍。但這就是撞球的魅力所在。水平很高，勝負往往只在一線之間。這周我沒能發揮出最佳水平，在這種賽制下，狀態不佳就會受到懲罰。現在最重要的是重振旗鼓，努力訓練，爭取在下一場比賽中強勢回歸。”
與弟弟 Kledio Kaçi 的出局形成鮮明對比的是，Eklent Kaçi 繼續保持在積分榜上的統治地位。Kaçi 將他驚人的連勝紀錄擴大到13場，並在第一階段的最後五場比賽中均獲勝利，以全勝戰績結束第一階段，穩居積分榜榜首，成為下一階段的奪冠熱門。
Kaçi 說道：“我現在感覺信心十足。我在賽前進行了大量的練習，能感覺到自己狀態的提升。我感覺自己更能掌控比賽，也更有紀律性。當然，五局三勝制的比賽什麼都可能發生，有時也需要一點運氣，但我現在狀態很好，我的目標很簡單，那就是繼續贏球，繼續得分。”
Eklent Kaci｜©Matchroom Pool
印尼未來之星 Albert Januarta 從第一階段脫穎而出，成為表現最出色的球員之一。作為場上最年輕的球員，他在撞球超級聯賽的首秀中表現驚艷，成功晉級。
Januartaㄑ 表示：“我很高興能夠晉級。參賽球員實力都很強，所以能夠進入第二階段對我來說意義非凡。但這只是個開始。接下來的路會更加艱難，我需要再次提升自己的水平。我會繼續努力，全力以赴。”
委內瑞拉選手 Jesús Atencio 在最後一場比賽中對上加拿大的 John Morra 的比賽，他沉著冷靜，憑藉頑強的毅力扭轉劣勢，最終以一局之差險勝，奪下最後一個晉級名額。
Atencio 賽後表示：“這次比賽真的非常艱難，但我很感激自己能夠晉級。第一天的比賽並不順利，但我告訴自己要保持專注，繼續相信自己。每次比賽結束後我都會再進行練習，每一場比賽都像是一場戰鬥。我很自豪能夠晉級，但我知道接下來的壓力只會越來越大。我必須為接下來的挑戰做好準備。”