Johann Chua and Mickey Krause will face off in the final of the 2024 European Open Championship in Fulda, Germany.
Now in its third year, the European Open Championship returns to Hotel Esperanto, in partnership with the City of Fulda, the local sports authority Fulda Die Sportstadt, and renowned broadcaster Sky Sports.
Johann Chua began his semi-final clash on a strong note, winning the lag and quickly establishing a two-rack lead over Shane Van Boening. However, a foul in the third rack after a failed attempt to hit the 2-ball gave Van Boening the chance to run the table. The American was poised to capitalise, but a miscue on the 9-ball allowed Chua to regain control and extend his lead.
In the fifth rack, Chua’s failed safety on the 4-ball finally opened the door for Van Boening, who seized the opportunity to take two consecutive racks. Despite scratching on the break in the next rack, Van Boening managed to recover after Chua struggled with a difficult 9-ball shot.
A scratch by Van Boening in the eighth rack handed “Bad Koi” Chua the momentum he needed to charge ahead, reaching the hill. Chua then delivered a flawless run of the table to secure his place in the European Open Championship final.
©Taka Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport
In the other semi-final matchup, Mickey Krause stormed into a commanding 6-0 lead against Skyler Woodward. The pair traded racks, bringing the score to 7-2 with Krause still firmly in control. However, a missed 8-ball by Krause in the tenth rack allowed Woodward to close the gap, and when Krause miscued on the 7-ball, Woodward capitalised again.
The American fought back with determination, aided by a fluke hook on the 5-ball that forced Krause into a tricky jump shot. Though Krause managed to pot the 5-ball, his attempt to play safety on the 6-ball was unsuccessful, allowing Woodward to clinch another rack, narrowing the score to 7-5. Krause rallied in the 13th rack after a tense safety battle but lost his rhythm following a dry break, bringing the score to 8-6.
Krause’s misfortune continued as he scratched in the next rack, enabling Woodward to level the score at 8-8. Woodward, attempting his third comeback of the tournament, seemed poised to take the lead, but Krause capitalised on a crucial miss by the American on the 4-ball, conducting a bank shot to regain a 9-8 advantage.
The two players exchanged racks once more, with Woodward nearing the hill and threatening to equalise. However, a missed 3-ball sealed his fate, as Krause swept the table to secure his spot in the final.
Johann Chua and Mickey Krause will now battle for the championship in a race to 13, today at 6:30 pm CEST / 5:30 pm BST. The match will be broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Final – Saturday, 11th August – 18:30 CEST / 17:30 BST
Johann Chua (PHI) vs Mickey Krause (DEN)