Shane Van Boening, Skyler Woodward, Johann Chua, and Mickey Krause have advanced to the semi-finals 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.
In a highly anticipated clash of former World Pool Champions, Shane Van Boening faced off against Francisco Sanchez Ruiz. Despite El Ferrari taking an early 3-1 lead, a critical error—an intentional foul attempt to tie the 2 and 3 balls—allowed Van Boening, to capitalise with an impressive eight-rack run, bringing him to the brink of victory. A missed 3-ball by Van Boening in the 13th rack offered Ruiz a glimmer of hope as he claimed two more racks.
©Taka Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport
However, Ruiz faltered with a missed 2-ball in the 15th rack, and despite a further opportunity after Van Boening missed the 6-ball, Ruiz‘s own error in hooking himself on the 2-ball off the break ultimately sealed his fate, allowing the South Dakota Kid to step closer to his first European Open title.
In a dramatic comeback reminiscent of his earlier victory over Fedor Gorst, Skyler Woodward once again displayed his resilience against Daniel Maciol. The Polish cueist initially took the lead, with Woodward trailing 4-7. However, a dry break gave the Mosconi Cup captain the opportunity to claw back and eventually take the lead at 8-7.
The two players then traded racks, setting up a nail-biting hill-hill showdown. Maciol, breaking in the final rack, scratched off the 1-ball, allowing Woodward to clear the table and secure a hard-fought 10-9 victory, booking his place in the semi-finals.
©Taka Wu/Matchroom Multi Sport
Johan Chua delivered a commanding performance against Turkish cueist Mustafa Alnar, who, despite a strong run in the tournament, struggled to keep pace with the Filipino. Chua quickly established a three-rack lead, which only widened as the match progressed, culminating in a decisive 10-4 victory. This win secures Chua‘s place in his second semi-final of the year, following his impressive run at the World Pool Championship.
Mickey Krause overcame a tough challenge from US Open champion Ko Ping Chung. Although Ko took the first rack, a dry break in the second rack allowed Krause to seize control, building a formidable six-rack lead. Ko attempted a comeback in the 11th rack after Krause miscued on the 6-ball, sparking a four-rack run. However, a missed 8-ball in the 16th rack halted Ko‘s momentum, giving Krause the opportunity to close out the match and sail into the final day.
The semi-final take place tomorrow with Shane Van Boening vs Johann Chua to kick off the day at 12 pm CEST/11 am BST UK time.
Sunday 11th August – 12:00 pm CEST time – Semi-Final
12pm –
TV Table – Johann Chua (PHI) vs Shane Van Boening (USA)
Approx. 2:30pm –
TV Table – Skyler Woodward (USA) vs Mickey Krause (DEN)
Sunday 11th August – 18:30 pm CEST time – Final
Fillers’ Junior Open Championship
The Fillers’ Junior Open ended today, showcasing an entertaining final match between Maks Benko and Luka Bugarski. In a showdown filled with tension, the now three-time junior champion Maks benko emerged victorious with a 9-8 triumph to secure the Fillers’ Junior Open title. His win secured the top prize of $2,500.
Juniors aged 17 and under from around the world came to Fulda hoping to make a name for themselves as an up-and-coming superstar, as they competed for their part of the $10,000 prize fund.