The draw has been made for the 2025 European Open Pool Championship, taking place for the first time at Hills Hotel Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina, from 11-16 March, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Sarajevo Canton.
Showcased on Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland, with WNT TV broadcasting to other international regions, this thrilling competition promises to feature the best pool talent from around the globe, all competing for a share of the $200,000 prize fund.
Selected First Round Matches
Mickey Krause (DEN) vs Mario Valchev (BUL)
Francisco Sanchez Ruiz (ESP) vs Gabriel Vasilache (ROU)
Shane Van Boening (USA) vs Adko Jakupovic (BIH)
Johann Chua (PHI) vs Mustafa Hadzibajric (BIH)
Jayson Shaw (GBR) vs Bogdan Sacal (ROU)
Ko Pin Yi (TPE) vs Senad Mulabdić (BIH)
Aloysius Yapp (SGP) vs Said Vilic (BIH)
Eklent Kaçi (ALB) vs Tahsin Kaplan (TUR)
Ko Ping Chung (TPE) vs Labinot Markaj (KOS)
©Taka Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport
The full draw can be found on www.wntlivescores.com. Fans can keep track of live rack-by-rack scoring across all 22 tables throughout the event.
Fans can expect an electrifying showdown in Sarajevo as defending champion Mickey Krause begins his title defence, determined to retain his first-ever Matchroom Major crown. Last year’s runner-up and Hanoi Open champion Johann Chua returns, hungry for redemption after his narrow defeat in 2024. Five-time US Open champion Shane Van Boening is also back on European soil, joined by a stacked lineup of former world champions, including Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, Carlo Biado, Niels Feijen, and Ralf Souquet.
Adding further firepower to the field, last year’s Mosconi Cup MVP Jayson Shaw and Reyes Cup MVP Aloysius Yapp step into the mix. The formidable Ko brothers—Ko Pin Yi, Ko Ping Chung, and Ko Ping Han—are all primed for a title charge, while UK Open champion Robbie Capito eyes his second Matchroom Major triumph.
Hometown favourite Sanjin Pehlivanovic looks to capture the European title in front of a passionate home crowd, with fellow Balkan standouts Eklent Kaçi, Aleksa Pecelj, and Kledio Kaçi also carrying the region’s hopes.
This year’s tournament sees the return of Scottish Open and Welsh Open snooker champion Gary Wilson to the World Nineball Tour, while American pool veteran Scott Frost makes his long-awaited international debut, venturing beyond the US for the first time to compete in Sarajevo’s elite 256-player field.
Matches on the Table 1 will be broadcast live around the world through leading global broadcasters, including Sky Sports, Viaplay, Rigour, AMC Network, Fox Sports, Sportklub, WNT TV.
The first four days of the 2025 European Open Pool Championship will be available to watch exclusively on WNT TV, with the final two days being showcased in the USA, Vietnam and other international territories. Sign up to WNT TV here.
Broadcast List
• Sky Sports – UK & Ireland
• AMC Network – Hungary
• Fox Sports – Australia
• Nova – Czech Republic & Slovakia
• Sky Network – New Zealand
• Sportklub – Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia
• Viaplay – Scandinavia, Netherlands, Poland, and Iceland
• Rigour – China
• WNT TV – USA, Vietnam, and all other territories
Don’t miss the chance to catch the action as the 2025 European Open Pool Championship unfolds in Sarajevo – Spectator tickets available here!