Only eight remain at the 2023 World Pool Masters in Brentwood, Essex after 2021 champion Alexander Kazakis and two-time winner David Alcaide exited the tournament live on Sky Sports in the UK.
Kazakis came into the tournament looking to replicate a magical tournament in 2021 where the Greek freely admits he ‘became a man’ but he faced close friend and a player on a high in Mario He of Austria. He won the lag and proceeded to break and run the opening two before a golden break in the third put him in firm control. A further run out in the fourth rack saw Kazakis with a mountain to climb. At 5-2 up, He fouled when going airborne to make the five allowing Kazakis in to try and make his mark on the match but that was to be shortlived despite getting it back to 5-5.
An individual Matchroom title seems only a matter of time for He and the two-time World Cup of Pool winner will fancy his chances with the break seemingly right at the top of He‘s weaponry with another golden break helping him to the hill at 8-5 before closing out for an impressive 9-5 win.
Mario He vs Alex Kazakis｜©Taka G Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport
Shane Van Boening came into his match against Alcaide looking to win his first World Pool Masters crown since doing the double in 2014-2015 but he knew it would be a tough ask against another player with so much pedigree in the tournament. Alcaide went 2-0 up after a huge fluke on the nine and it looked soon to be three but an uncharacteristic miss on the nine in the third saw Van Boening leap up and make him pay with three racks on the spin to lead for the first time.
It’s well documented that the new break is something Van Boening is yet to fully get to grips with and it showed early doors. Alcaide hit the front at 5-3 before the South Dakota Kid had his time to finally get a break and run in to level at 5-5. That moment was a huge turning point in the contest as Van Boening rallied to reach the hill first with three without reply. A poor safety from Van Boening in the 14th rack put Alcaide back in the mix to finish up and keep it alive at 8-6. In the 15th, Alcaide broke dry and Van Boening duly obliged to finish up to set up an enticing quarter-final clash tomorrow night with Ko Pin Yi.
Van Boening said: “I was feeling the pressure out there and David was feeling it too. We were both missing balls but then I got my head into it. David has won it twice and you have to take matches as they come and pick up on mistakes.”
SVB｜©Taka G Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport
The quarter-final matches get underway from 12:30 pm UK time tomorrow with Max Lechner against two-time champion Niels Feijen before James Aranas meets Wiktor Zielinski.
Watch live on Sky Sports in the UK, DAZN in the USA, Spain, Italy, and Brazil as well as on Viaplay in the Netherlands, Poland, Scandinavia and the Baltics. If no broadcaster is available in your country, watch the action on Matchroom.Live. See where to watch in your country here.
The World Pool Masters returns to the UK for the first time since 2015 with a fresh look as the field reverts back to 16 players with 14 of the 16 automatically earning their place from the World Nineball Tour Rankings with two wild cards completing the field. Round 1 matches are Race to 9 with quarter and semi-final encounters Race to 11 before the final stretches to a Race to 13 for the first time. The prize fund has also been bolstered to $125,000 with the winner taking home $40,000.
©Taka G Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport
世界撞球大師賽八強出爐 SVB 迎戰柯秉逸
2023 世界撞球大師賽繼續在英國的布倫特伍德中心進行第二日賽程。在下午場的的三場比賽中，持外卡出戰的菲律賓選手 James Aranas 最後以一桿完美的衝球直接清台，以 9:7 擊敗世界排名第一的 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz (西班牙)；第二場比賽的對決來自波蘭與中國兩位同為 2001年出生的年輕實力小將 Wiktor Zielinski 與鄭肖淮，終場 Zielinski 以一擊精準的 2-9 組合球擊敗鄭肖淮 (9-6)，晉級八強。
最後一場比賽由兩位莫斯考尼盃歐洲隊隊友 Eklent Kaci (阿爾巴尼亞) 面對 Albin Ouschan，Ouschan 在大師賽目前最佳成績是於 2017年闖進半決賽。Kaci 在開賽後前八局結束取得 6-2 的領先優勢，他的對手 Ouschan 一直處於低迷狀態，雖一度將比分追至 7-6，最終以 7-9 負於 Kaci 遭淘汰出局。
Mario He｜©Taka G Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport
晚場則進行了首輪的最後兩場比賽，一場來自於兩位好友 Alexander Kazakis 與 Mario He 之間的交手，另一場則有美國球王 Shane Van Boening 對陣兩屆大師賽冠軍 David Alcaide (西班牙)。
Mario He 拿下與 Alexander Kazakis 比賽的開球權，在勝衝制的規則下，Mario He 憑藉連兩局衝球清台再加上第三局的 9-ball in 取得 3-0 領先。Mario He 在第八局的犯規讓 Kazakis 回到場上並一度將比分追平 5-5。然而 Kazakis 的比分終場就於此停了下來，Mario He 最終以 9-5 擊敗好友並晉級下一輪。
David Alcaide｜©Taka G Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport
首輪最後一場比賽由五屆美國公開賽冠軍 Shane Van Boening 面對西班牙名將 David Alcaide。Alcaide 率先拿下首局。第二局 SVB 解到 Alcaide 留下的2號球防守後留下開放球局的機會給 Alcaide，然而 Alcaide 在擊打6號球時出現失誤，但最後 6號球將 9號球撞進底袋幸運地拿下第二局，取得 2-0 領先。第三局 Alcaide 9號球後落入中袋， SVB 順利拿下該局 (2-1)。緊接著 Alcaide 在第四局 9號球沒打進留在了洞口，SVB 藉此扳平比分。
SVB 在比賽前半段似乎一直未能掌握住衝球，始終處於落後在追平的局面，但一切在 Alcaide 5:3 領先之下出現了該場比賽重要的轉折點，SVB 再度扳平比分至 5-5，接著在第十一局 2號球漂亮的灌底袋後精準走位做到 3號球，SVB 拿下該局並以 6-5 超前比分。SVB 在第十四局一個不理想的安全球讓 Alcaide 重回場上結束該局 (6-8)，而面對以聽牌的 SVB， Alcaide 最終反撲未果， SVB 以 9:6 戰勝 Alcaide ，順利晉級。SVB 八強戰的對手將是 “撞球王子” 柯秉逸。