2022 世界花式撞球大師在直布羅陀的歐洲體育中心結束第二日4場比賽的爭奪。下午時段進行了最後四場的預賽，其中柯氏兄弟的內戰無疑是最大看點。開賽後雙方都出現失誤，兄弟二人似乎都還在適應並尋找球感，第六局開始柯秉中開始找到比賽節奏，隨後一記1號球精彩的跳球，取得4-2領先。然而，柯秉中第七局的失誤成為了整場比賽的轉折點也讓其付出高昂的代價，哥哥柯秉逸隨後居上以7-4贏下比賽，將於7日晚上7點迎戰兩屆冠軍，西班牙名將 David Alcaide。
去年闖進半決賽的 Eklent Kaçi (阿爾巴尼亞) 首場比賽對上2010年冠軍，菲律賓老將 Dennis Orcollo。Kaçi 連下四局取得開場後的4-0領先，第五局 Kaçi 1號球切底袋未進留在了袋口，給了 Ocollo 上場的機會。雖過程中有些起伏，但在勝衝制下，Ocollo 連下7局，最終 Kaçi 慘遭菲律賓老將 Orcollo 逆轉淘汰。
第三場比賽由首次亮相大師賽的科威特選手 Abdullah Alyousef 對上今年獲得外卡參賽的兩屆冠軍，荷蘭 “終結者” Niels Feijen。前五局結束 Alyousef 取得4-1的領先，Feijen 第六局6號球薄球的失誤讓他付出巨大的代價，反觀對手 Alyousef 整場比賽發揮完美以7-2獲勝。Alyousef 證明了在先前的世界撞球錦標賽 (9球世錦賽) 進入到半決賽絕非僥倖。
最後一場比賽由西班牙的 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz 對陣前世界冠軍，名人堂成員 Mika Immonen，Immonen 臨陣取代因故退賽的張玉龍參賽。雙方你來我往，六局結束 Immonen 取得4-2領先。不過 Immonen 在第七局那毫無難度的8號球的失誤成為比賽轉折點，Sanchez Ruiz 把握機會扭轉局勢，以7-5逆轉擊敗 Immonen。
Ko brothers, Pin-Yi & Ping-Chung (Zen)｜©Taka G. Wu / Matchroom Multi Sport
Ko Pin Yi knocked younger brother Ko Ping Chung out of the 2022 World Pool Masters at the Europa Point Sports Complex, Gibraltar live on Sky Sports, DAZN, Viaplay, and Matchroom.Live in selected countries as the Preliminary Stage was wrapped up.
Ko Ping Chung 4-7 Ko Pin Yi
Eklent Kaçi 4-7 Dennis Orcollo
Abdullah Alyousef 7-2 Niels Feijen
Francisco Sanchez Ruiz 7-5 Mika Immonen
Pin Yi and Ping Chung were obviously well-matched heading into their first competitive match against each other in a Matchroom event and fans were not disappointed as both oozed class on the table despite early tensions which saw both brothers make mistakes in the opening two racks to let the other in or one all. There is a six-year age gap between the two and it was Ping Chung who started to find a rhythm at 3-2 before an impressive jump shot on the one ball on the way to leading 4-2. A costly mistake on the four by Ping Chung in the seventh rack did prove to be the turning point as Pin Yi soon pulled it to 4-4 with a break and run. Pin Yi, a previous World Champion is looking to add his first piece of Matchroom silverware to his extensive CV and he did his chances no harm as he set up a Last 16 tie with two-time winner David Alcaide in the Last 16.
Eklent Kaçi headed to Gibraltar on the back of reaching the semi-finals last year before a hill-hill defeat to eventual winner Alexander Kazakis but he knew he would need to beat previous winner Dennis Orcollo to stand any chance of getting near the semis this year. Kaçi got off to the best of starts taking the opening four racks with very little sweat, but Orcollo was back in the Nineball arena for the first time since the 2021 US Open Pool Championship and he could’ve been forgiven for being caught cold at 4-0 down. At this point though, Kaçi missed what seemed to be a simple cut on the one in the fifth rack, but Ocollo then bounced back to win seven on the spin. Robocop lured Kaçi in and despite a few lapses of concentration it was as efficient as ever from Orcollo who sealed seven racks to seal a 7-4 win.
Abdullah Alyousef｜©Taka G. Wu / Matchroom Multi Sport
Abdullah Alyousef was making his World Pool Masters debut against Niels Feijen, a two-time winner in the penultimate match of the afternoon session and he produced one of the performances of his career to win 7-2. Feijen rattled the middle pocket on the five at 2-1 down to Alyousef and it set the tone for the remainder of the contest. At 4-1, Feijen made another costly error on the six ball as Alyousef went into dreamland at 5-1. Feijen would’ve been hoping for more after his wild card invite but Alyousef proved his run to the World Pool Championship semi-finals was no fluke wrapping up a big win for the Kuwaiti cueist.
Francisco Sanchez Ruiz brought a crowd with him for his match-up with former World Champion Mika Immonen who had received a late call-up to the tournament. Immonen had the better of the opening exchanges to lead 4-2 but it was soon level at 4-4. The downfall in that position came in the seventh rack when Immonen missed what seemed to be a simple cut on the eight ball. The pair were inseparable as it went 5-5 but that’s when the recent Derby City Classic 9-ball divison winner Sanchez Ruiz pulled through for a big win. The final dagger for Immonen coming in the winning rack for Sanchez Ruiz as he failed to make the two-ball safe.
Francisco Sanchez Ruiz (Predator)｜©Taka G. Wu / Matchroom Multi Sport
The Last 16 begins from 7 pm Central European Time with defending champion Kazakis set to meet Ocrollo in the opener before Max Lechner gets his campaign underway against Dimitri Jungo who overcome Mario He last night. The evening will be wrapped up by newly crowned World Champion Shane Van Boening vs Lo Ho Sum of Hong Kong, China.
Friday 6th May – Evening Session – Last 16 – 7:00 pm Central European Time
Alexander Kazakis (1) vs Dennis Orcollo
Max Lechner (5) vs Dimitri Jungo
Shane Van Boening (2) vs Lo Ho Sum