Heading into this year’s Alfa Las Vegas Open, Wiktor Zielinski said the fact that he won last year’s event wasn’t even registering in his mind.
“To be honest, I didn’t even think about it,” said the 22-year-old from Poland. “I just wanted to play my best and see what happened.”
What happened was he took opportunities when they arrived and battled through tough layouts and breaking woes when they didn’t, as Zielinski won his second consecutive Alfa Las Vegas Open, defeating Sanjin Pehlivanovic in straight sets in the finals Sunday at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Zielinski, who picked up $25,000 for the victory, needed to survive a shootout against Duong Quoc Hoang in the semifinals to reach the finals and repeat as champion.
“I wanted so bad to win this one,” said the Pole. “Hopefully, I showed my best game.”
He certainly showed perseverance, battling back from a lack of open shots in crucial situations.
Sanjin (L) & Wiktor (R)｜©Pro Billiard Series
After splitting the first two games of the opening set of the semifinals, Hoang reclaimed the lead with a break-and-run but allowed Zielinski to tie the match when he missed the 1 ball. The 36-year-old from Vietnam reclaimed the lead with a one rail kick in on the one ball and had a chance to increase his lead but misplayed position on the 4 ball then left an opening on a safety attempt. The Pole tied the match, then took his first lead of the set after his opponent fouled but Hoang evened the score again when his opponent missed a jump shot on the 3 ball in the following rack. The Pole recovered and sealed the first set victory when he won a safety exchange in the deciding game, 4-3.
After Hoang jumped out to a 2-0 advantage and sailed to a 4-1 second set win, the two players split the first four games of the deciding set before Zielinski finally got a ball to fall on the break – two, to be exact – then ran out and take the lead. His opponent used a push after his break followed by a safety to tie the match 3-3 and force a shootout.
Even in the extra frame, Zielinski struggled to catch a break.
Sanjin Pehlivanovic, 21-year-old from Bosnia and Herzegovina｜©Pro Billiard Series
After pocketing the first two spot shots while his opponent missed the first two, he had a chance to close out the match. Zielinski made the match-winning shot then watched as the cue ball scratched in the opposite corner pocket. He recovered in the next inning, rolling in the game-winner to set up a matchup with Pehlivanovic.
Both players solved their breaking issues early in the championship match, with Zielinski building a 2-0 advantage with back-to-back breaks and runs before failing to pocket a ball on the break in the third game. The 21-year-old from Bosnia and Herzegovina cleared the table to climb onto the scoreboard then added a break-and-run of his own to tie the score. He had a chance to take the lead but missed a makeable combination shot on the 1 and 8 balls. Zielinski cleared the table but his opponent tied the match in the next game when the Pole scratched while attempting a safety. Now at the table with the break and a chance to win the set, Pehlivanovic failed to pocket a ball on the break and his opponent used a safety on the 1 ball to find and opening and run out to secure a 4-3 victory.
Wiktor holding his trophy｜©Pro Billiard Series
After splitting the first two racks of the second set, the match was all Zielinski, who went from not being able to buy a break to catching multiple good rolls down the stretch – including a missed 7 ball in the third game and a misplayed safety in the fourth game by Pehlivanovic to help build a 3-1 advantage. Zielinski got one more piece of good fortune in the fifth game when his opponent missed a bank shot of the 2 ball into the side pocket which left a wide open table. After pocketing the 9 ball and leaving a mostly straight in 10 ball for the game winner, the Pole raised a fist and looked to the sky in triumph.
“I knew that it was going to be tough,” said Zielinski. “Sanjin is a world class player. I knew that it wouldn’t be easy. I played almost perfect in the first set and the second one I was a bit more lax.”
Kristina Zlateva of Bulgaria｜©Pro Billiard Series
Monday will see the conclusion of the women’s Alfa Las Vegas Open with two semifinal matches beginning at noon followed by the championship at 4 p.m. local time. Sunday night saw defending champion Kelly Fisher reach the quarterfinals with a shootout victory over reigning Puerto Rico Open champion Wei Tzu-Chien only to fall in three sets Silviana Lu of Indonesia. Lu will face Seo Seoa, who defeated reigning World Women’s 9-Ball champion Chieh-Yu Chou in straight sets, 4-3, 4-3. The second semifinal will involve Bulgaria’s Kristina Zlateva matching up against Meng-Hsia Hung of Australia, who staged an epic shootout with Turkey’s Eylul Kibaroglu in the quarterfinals, needing seven innings in the extra frame to win, 7-6.
Semifinals are scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. local time and the finals are slated to start at 4 p.m.
Watch Live on World Billiard TV YouTube channel, Billiard TV and at tv.kozoom.com
Brackets and scores can be found at https://probilliardseries.com/2023-men/2023-alfa-las-vegas-open/
https://probilliardseries.com/2023-women/alfa-las-vegas-women-open/
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Final: Sanjin Pehlivanovic & Wiktor Zielinski｜©Pro Billiard Series
Zielinski 成功衛冕拉斯維加斯公開賽
2023 拉斯維加斯公開賽-男子組在里約賭場飯店落下帷幕，22歲的波蘭小將 Wiktor Zieliński 在決賽中擊敗波黑小伙 Sanjin Pehlivanovic，成功衛冕拉斯維加斯公開賽。
Wiktor 賽後表示: “我非常渴望拿下這場比賽，而當時我其實壓根沒去想自己去年贏得比賽的事，我只想拿出最佳狀態。Sanjin 是世界級的球員，我知道會是場硬仗。第一盤我表現地近乎完美，但第二盤我有些鬆懈了。希望我展現出了我最佳的表現。”
Zieliński 在半決賽迎戰越南選手楊國皇 (Duong Quoc Hoang)，前兩局結束雙方 1-1 平手，楊國皇在下一局衝球後清台，再度重回領先。楊國皇第四局解到4號球後留下可進攻的開放局面，Zieliński 把握機會清光台面，雙方再度平手。第五局，Zieliński 跳到 3號球，但球停在了靠近底袋位置楊國皇上場後解決了球桌上剩餘的球，雙方比數再次平手 (3-3)。Zieliński 在雙方攻守之中把握住機會以 4-3 拿下第一盤。楊國皇力挽狂瀾以 4-1 拿下第二盤，雙方進入第三盤的加賽。兩位選手在第三盤各拿下三局後，比賽進入點球大戰。
©Pro Billiard Series
楊國皇點球大戰中的前兩球都並未打進，反觀 Zieliński 連續拿下兩點，緊接著楊國皇打進下一球扳回一分，Zieliński 在決勝的第四球，雖然打進但最後眼看著母球進到對面底袋，因而錯失掉一次結束比賽的機會，最終 Zieliński 靠著點球大戰拿下比賽勝利，晉級冠軍戰。他的對手是在四強賽中以 2-1 力克波蘭23歲選手 Daniel Macioł 的波黑小伙 Sanjin Pehlivanovic。
冠軍戰開打後，在比球環節拿下開球權的 Zieliński 連拿兩局取得 2-0 領先，Pehlivanovic 憑藉 Zieliński 第三局衝球後無球落袋，接手後清台再加上下一局衝球後掃台將比數追平。Pehlivanovic 在第五局中打丟 1-8 組合球後，讓 Zieliński 3-2 反超，然而 Pehlivanovic 隨後再度扳平。Pehlivanovic 在第一盤決勝局中解到 Zieliński 留下的 1號球安全球，但也留下了機會讓 Zieliński 拿下該局，以 4-3 拿下第一盤。
Zieliński 憑藉著 Pehlivanovic 在第三局打丟 7號球與第四局 1號球安全球上的失誤而取得 3-1 領先優勢。 Pehlivanovic 在第五局的 2號球未能翻進中袋，Zieliński 回到場上後把握住機會，在打進 9號球後的 Zieliński 仰頭振臂，最後打進了接近直球的 10號球後成功擊敗對手，再度捧起拉斯維加斯公開賽的冠軍獎座。
Chieh-Yu Chou｜©Pro Billiard Series
隨著男子組冠軍的出爐，女子組也在昨晚決出最終四強。現任女子9號球世界冠軍周婕妤在16強擊敗李心語，然而在八強賽上 0-2 負于韓國選手徐序亞 (Seo Seoa) 同樣止步於八強；她半決賽的對手將是在八強戰勝世界冠軍 Kelly Fisher 的印尼選手 Silviana Lu。
另一場半決賽則將在洪夢霞與 Kristina Zlateva (保加利亞)；洪夢霞在八強險勝土耳其好手 Eylül Kibaroglu 拿下一席半決賽的名額，Zlateva 則擊敗俄羅斯好手 Kristina Tkach 搶下半決賽門票。
Seo Seoa of South Korea｜©Pro Billiard Series
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Men Division 男子組
2/22 – DAY 1
【Round 1 首輪】
唐境霆 1 – 2 Francesco Candela (ITA 義大利)
許睿安 0 – 2 Joshua Filler (GER 德國)
柯秉漢 2 – 0 David Yonan (USA 美國)
【Winner Round 1 勝部第一輪】
柯秉逸 2 – 0 Nathan Neergaard (NOR 挪威)
張榮麟 2 – 0 Alan Rolon Rosado (PUR 波多黎各)
柯秉中 2 – 0 Ray Robles (USA 美國)
張玉龍 0 – 2 Aleksa Pecelj (SRB 塞爾維亞)
柯秉漢 0 – 2 Mika Immonen (FIN 芬蘭)
吳坤霖 2 – 0 Andrew Kong Bu Hong 江浡康 (HKG 香港)
2/23 – DAY 2
【Loser Round 2 敗部第二輪】
唐境霆 1 – 2 Tyler Styer (USA 美國) 點球
柯秉漢 0 – 2 Edgie Geronimo (USA 美國)
許睿安 2 – 0 Kurt Kobayashi (USA 美國)
【Winners Qualification 勝部資格賽】
柯秉逸 2 – 0 Sharik Sayed (SGP 新加坡)
張榮麟 2 – 0 Shane Van Boening (USA 美國)
柯秉中 2 – 0 Kang Lee (USA 美國)
吳坤霖 2 – 1 Jan van Lierop (NED 荷蘭)
【Loser Round 3 敗部第三輪】
張玉龍 2 – 0 Edgie Geronimo (USA 美國)
許睿安 2 – 0 Matt Krah (USA 美國)
2/24 – DAY 3
【Losers Qualification 敗部資格賽】
張玉龍 2 – 0 José Alberto Delgado (ESP 西班牙)
許睿安 2 – 0 Mickey Krause (DEN 丹麥)
【Last 64 單敗】
許睿安 0 – 2 Fedor Gorst
柯秉逸 2 – 0 Yoshihiro Kitatani 北谷好宏 (JPN 日本)
張榮麟 2 – 0 Omar Al Shaheen (KUW 科威特)
柯秉中 1 – 2 Mieszko Fortuński (POL 波蘭)
吳坤霖 2 – 0 Kang Lee (USA 美國)
張玉龍 2 – 1 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz (ESP 西班牙)
2/25 – DAY 4
【Last 32】
柯秉逸 2 – 1 Fedor Gorst
張榮麟 2 – 0 Albin Ouschan (AUT)
吳坤霖 2 – 1 張玉龍
【Last 16】
柯秉逸 0 – 2 Duong Quoc Hoang 楊國皇 (VIE)
張榮麟 2 – 1 Joshua Filler (GER)
吳坤霖 1 – 2 Sanjin Pehlivanovic (BIH)
【QF 八強】
Duong Quoc Hoang 楊國皇 2 – 1 Shane Van Boening
張榮麟 0 – 2 Wiktor Zieliński (POL)
Daniel Macioł (POL) 2 – 0 Bader alawadhi (KUW)
Sanjin Pehlivanovic 2 – 0 Vitaliy Patsura (UKR)
2/26 – DAY 5
【SF 半決賽】
楊國皇 Duong Quoc Hoang 1 – 2 Wiktor Zieliński
Daniel Macioł 1 – 2 Sanjin Pehlivanovic
【Final 決賽】
Wiktor Zieliński 2 – 0 Sanjin Pehlivanovic
Women Division 女子組
2/24 – DAY 1
【Round 1 首輪】
范育瑄 2 – 0 Elena Baptiste (CAN 加拿大)
洪夢霞 (AUS) 2 – 0 Soledad Ayala (ARG 阿根廷)
王婉菱 2 – 1 Sara Rocha (POR 葡萄牙)
呂翊瑄 1 – 2 Eylül Kibaroglu (TUR 土耳其)
蘇憶雲 2 – 0 Kennedy Meyman (USA 美國)
魏子茜 2 – 0 Sofia Mast (USA 美國)
江水淨 W – FF Joy Hutcheson (USA 美國)
陳佳樺 2 – 0 Natalie Stanton (USA 美國)
周婕妤 2 – 0 Samantha Shaw (USA 美國)
李心語 2 – 0 Tamara Rademakers (NED 荷蘭)
Asian Players
Sakura Muramatsu 村松 櫻 (JPN 日本) 2 – 0 Precilia Kinsley (USA 美國)
Kim Bogeon 金甫建 (KOR 韓國) 2 – 0 Maryann McConnell (CAN 加拿大)
Huyen Huynh Thi Ngoc (VIE 越南) 0 – 2 Sara Miller (USA 美國)
Tram Nguyen Bich (VIE 越南) 0 – 2 Kristina Zlateva (BUL 保加利亞)
Woojin Lee 李梧靜 (KOR 韓國) 2 – 0 Jeri Engh (USA 美國)
Angeline Ticoalu (INA 印尼) 0 – 2 Elise Qiu (NED 荷蘭)
Silviana Lu (INA 印尼) 2 – 0 Sue Orr (USA 美國)
Seo Seoa 徐序亞 (KOR 韓國) 2 – 1 Briana Miller (USA 美國)
Vang Bui Xuan (VIE 越南) 1 – 2 Allison Fisher (GBR 英國)
2/25 – DAY 2
【Winner Round 1 勝部第一輪】
范育瑄 1 – 2 洪夢霞
王婉菱 2 – 1 Sakura Muramatsu 村松 櫻
蘇憶雲 1 – 2 Kristina Tkach
魏子茜 2 – 0 Woojin Lee 李梧靜
江水淨 2 – 0 Elise Qiu (NED)
陳佳樺 1 – 2 周婕妤
李心語 2 – 1 Allison Fisher (GBR)
Kim Bogeon 金甫建 0 – 2 Eylül Kibaroglu (TUR)
Silviana Lu 2 – 1 Savannah Easton (USA)
Seo Seoa 徐序亞 2 – 0 April Larson (USA)
【Loser Round 1 敗部第一輪】
呂翊瑄 2 – 0 Maryann McConnell (CAN)
Huyen Huynh Thi Ngoc 1 – 2 Aleksandra Guleikova
Tram Nguyen Bich 2 – 0 Julie Madlener (USA)
Angeline Ticoalu W – “FF” Joy Hutcheson (USA)
Vang Bui Xuan 2 – 1 Tamara Rademakers (NED)
【Loser Round 2 敗部第二輪】
呂翊瑄 1 – 2 陳佳樺
蘇憶雲 2 – 0 Sofia Mast (USA)
范育瑄 2 – 0 Briana Miller (USA)
Woojin Lee 李梧靜 2 – 0 Kennedy Meyman (USA)
Tram Nguyen Bich 2 – 1 Joann Mason-Parker (USA)
Angeline Ticoalu 2 – 0 Melissa Morris (USA)
Kim Bogeon 金甫建 2 – 0 Samantha Shaw (USA)
Sakura Muramatsu 村松 櫻 2 – 0 Sue Orr (USA)
Vang Bui Xuan 1 – 2 Alara Ghaffari
2/26 – DAY 3
【Winners Qualification 勝部資格賽】
洪夢霞 2 – 1 Kelly Fisher
王婉菱 0 – 2 Eylül Kibaroglu
魏子茜 2 – 1 江水淨
周婕妤 2 – 1 Silviana Lu
李心語 2 – 0 Seo Seoa 徐序亞
【Loser Round 3 敗部第三輪】
陳佳樺 2 – 0 Sara Rocha
蘇憶雲 2 – 0 Angeline Ticoalu
范育瑄 2 – 0 Alara Ghaffari
Woojin Lee 李梧靜 2 – 0 Elise Qiu (NED)
Tram Nguyen Bich 2 – 1 Veronique Menard (CAN)
Kim Bogeon 金甫建 2 – 1 Sakura Muramatsu 村松 櫻
【Losers Qualification 敗部資格賽】
陳佳樺 2 – 0 Brittany Bryant
王婉菱 2 – 1 Woojin Lee 李梧靜
李心語 2 – 1 Eleanor Callado-Manuel (USA)
蘇憶雲 0 – 2 Silviana Lu
江水淨 2 – 1 Kim Bogeon 金甫建
范育瑄 2 – 0 Jackeline Perez (PER)
【Last 16 單敗】
王婉菱 0 – 2 洪夢霞 (AUS)
江水淨 1 – 2 Eylül Kibaroglu
Kristina Tkach 2 – 0 Margaret Fefilova
陳佳樺 0 – 2 Kristina Zlateva (BUL)
Jasmin Ouschan 0 – 2 Silviana Lu (INA)
魏子茜 1 – 2 Kelly Fisher
周婕妤 2 – 0 李心語
范育瑄 0 – 2 Seo Seoa 徐序亞 (KOR)
【QF 八強】
洪夢霞 2 – 1 Eylül Kibaroglu
Kristina Tkach 1 – 2 Kristina Zlateva
Silviana Lu 2 – 1 Kelly Fisher
周婕妤 0 – 2 Seo Seoa 徐序亞
2/27 – DAY 4
【SF 半決賽】
洪夢霞 2 – 1 Kristina Zlateva
Silviana Lu 0 – 2 Seo Seoa 徐序亞
【Final 決賽】
洪夢霞 1 – 2 Seo Seoa 徐序亞