Joshua Filler has won the 2022 World Pool Masters beating Lo Ho Sum in the final at the Europa Point Sports Complex, Gibraltar live on Sky Sports, DAZN, Viaplay, and Matchroom.Live in selected countries for the first time.
FINAL 決賽
Joshua Filler (8) 9-6 Lo Ho Sum 盧浩琛
SEMI-FINALS 半決賽
Joshua Filler (8) 7-3 Ko Pin Yi 柯秉逸
Mieszko Fortunski 5-7 Lo Ho Sum 盧浩琛
Filler set up a final with Lo after coming from 3-0 behind to win the following seven racks to clinch a 7-3 victory against former world champion Ko Pin Yi at the start of the evening. The German claimed his first World Pool Masters crown in a 9-6 win to become one of very few to win the World Pool Championship, US Open Pool Championship, Mosconi Cup, World Cup of Pool, and World Pool Masters in their career at just the age of 24.
The opening rack didn’t go to plan for Filler after winning the lag, he scratched off the break to hand Lo the early advantage. Breaking in the second, Lo was full of confidence as he rack the rack to lead 2-0 against the previous US Open champion. Into the third rack and Lo had a chance on the two but it was obscured by the seven. Filler duly got to the table and made it 2-1. Before too long, Filler was back on top turning it around to lead 3-2 and looking like putting on the performance that saw him down Dennis Orcollo in the quarter-finals 7-0. The Killer soon hit 4-2 at a breeze but this wasn’t going to be as easy for him after he underestimated the speed of the table when playing safe on the two ball. That move was costly to allow Lo back at 4-3 and soon 4-4 with his first break and run of the match.
Final: Filler against Lo Ho Sum 盧浩琛｜©Taka G. Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport
Lo‘s stroke was getting better and better and another break and run in the following rack put him back in front for the first time since 2-1. Filler was frozen to his chair as the road map became even clearer for Lo who broke and run again in the 11th rack to put a two-rack buffer between the pair, the shot of the rack coming on the seven after losing position on the cue ball briefly.
Filler got back at the table in the 11th after Lo missed a tricky two ball, but the current World Cup of Pool holder couldn’t put pay by making the 2、7 combo. However, the rack wasn’t done yet as Lo left himself with a horrible cut on the three. From there, Filler ran out the rest of the rack to be behind by one at 6-5.
The reputation of nerve and grit is what makes Filler one of the most feared players on tour and he was far from done in the contest as he ran the 12th rack to level again at 6-6.
As the 13th rack began, Lo was back at the table after Filler broke but he blew it as quick as the chance came on the six ball after losing the cue ball forcing him to play an awkward cut to keep the rack going in his favour. It didn’t happen though, and Filler led once again at 7-6, a smart shot on that six freed up the seven which was frozen to the rail to complete the rack and break in the 14th.
Joshua Filler (Predator/HOW)｜©Taka G. Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport
Filler had the brilliance to spot a 3-6 combination and help him clear the table despite a poor break to reach the hill at 8-6. Victory was in Filler‘s hands as he ran the last rack for a memorable win.
“I want to get better and better; I still made many mistakes, I still want to do better. I will try to be better. I will come back to defend this title for sure! I wanted to fight until the end and that’s what I did. Fair play to Lo Ho Sum who played a great week beating the World Champion Shane Van Boening. Since Matchroom announced they’d changed the pockets, I did the same in my home. It’s a different game. I felt great. I hope this is the future of pool. When I am back home, I will work hard on my safety game and be ready to go again at the UK Open.
Lo said: “It was the best experience ever this week. I would like to have more tournaments like this to get more experience. I am speechless this week. Kelly Fisher has helped me a lot for the upcoming events. ”
Lo Ho Sum 盧浩琛 (Fury/Zen)｜©Taka G. Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport
Next Up
The inaugural UK Open Pool Championship gets underway from May 17-22 at the Copper Box Arena, London as 256 players battle out for a prize fund of $200,000 in the Nineball World Ranking Event.
Newly crowned World Champion and current 2023 Live Nineball World No.1 Shane Van Boening will lead the field along the likes of two-time World Champion Albin Ouschan and Team Europe’s two-time Mosconi Cup MVP Jayson Shaw. Fans will also get to see some familiar names from the world of snooker turn to Nineball.
Fans will be able to take in every single table at the Copper Box Arena as 256 battle through the double-elimination stage led by the top 32 on the Nineball World Rankings. Lending its format from the US Open, only the last 16 will make it through to the straight knockout stage.
©Taka G. Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport
2022年世界花式撞球大師賽在台北時間今日凌晨在直布羅陀的歐洲體育中心落下帷幕。德國好手 Joshua Filler 在決賽中以 9-6 擊敗持外卡參賽的香港新星盧浩琛，首次在大師賽中問鼎。
在此前對陣柯秉逸的半決賽中，Filler 就是在 0-3 落後的情況下連勝七局完成逆轉。在 9-6 擊敗盧浩琛之後，年僅24歲的 Filler 成為極少數之一在職業生涯中囊括世界撞球錦標賽 (9號球世錦賽)、美國公開賽撞球錦標賽、莫斯科尼盃、世界盃雙打和世界花式撞球大師賽的球員，首位全滿貫球員就此誕生!
比球之後 Filler 如願取得衝球權，但是母球的洗袋讓他直接送出先手機會，打出自信的盧浩琛很快又拿下了自己的衝球局，取得 2-0 的領先。此後再度取得上手機會的 Filler 似乎回到了八強賽 7-0 橫掃 Dennis Orcollo 的節奏中，很快他就連勝四局以 4-2 反超比分。不過這一次事情並不是那麼順利，一次安全球中對於球台速度的錯誤判斷讓 Filler 再次交出球權；盧浩琛在追回一局之後完成他本場比賽首次直接清台，比分來到 4-4。
盧浩琛的狀態似乎越來越好，又是一次直接清台，讓他在比賽中再度取得領先。接下來的一局中，Filler 依然沒能得到回到球台的機會，盧浩琛將優勢擴大為兩局。第11局，雙方幾次交換球權，Filler 最終拿下並迫近比分至 5-6。
Lo Ho Sum 盧浩琛 (Fury/Zen)｜©Taka G. Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport
堅毅和強大的抗壓性讓 Filler 成為比賽中最為出色的球員之一，很快他完成直接清台，將比分追平到 6-6。第13局，Filler 的失誤讓盧浩琛重新回到台面，但盧浩琛並沒有抓住機會，Filler 7-6 再次將比分反超。第14局，在衝球效果並不是特別理想的情況下，Filler 的一次精彩3傳6為他打開局面，並以 8-6 取得賽點。再次完成直接清台後，Filler 9-6 如願拿下比賽勝利，首次在世界花式撞球大師賽中問鼎。
Filler 賽後採訪時說道: “我希望打得越來越好，我仍舊會犯下許多錯誤，我希望表現得更好。我會嘗試變得更好。當然，我會回來捍衛這個頭銜! 我一直都想要戰鬥到最後，我做到了。盧浩琛這一周的表現也非常出色，他還擊敗世界冠軍 Shane Van Boening。而自從Matchroom宣布採用4英寸袋口後，我也將家中的球桌作了同樣的改變。這像是一個不同的比賽。我感覺很棒。我希望這就是美式9號球的未來。返家後我會再安全球上更加努力練習，為接下來的英國公開賽做好準備。”
盧浩琛則表示：“這一周對我來說，我收穫到了最棒的經驗。我希望能參加更多這樣的賽事來積累更多經驗。這一周我有些無法用言語表達，Kelly Fisher 在即將到來的比賽中幫助了我很多。
©Taka G. Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport”
隨著大師賽的結束，接下來首屆英國公開賽撞球錦標賽 (UK Open Pool Championship) 將於 5 月 17 -22 日在倫敦 Copper Box競技場舉行，256 名選手將爭奪20萬美元的總獎金，冠軍選手將獲得3萬美元獎金。
新科9號球世界冠軍、目前2023年 Nineball Live 世界排名榜上暫居第一的美國名將 Shane Van Boening 將與兩屆世界冠軍 Albin Ouschan 和兩屆莫斯科尼盃 MVP Jayson Shaw 等人一同領銜參賽。 另外，球迷們還將發現一些斯諾克球員的名字跨界參加9號球比賽。