The World Pool Masters XXVI takes place in Gibraltar this week with an extended 24-strong line-up featuring many of the world’s top players.
All matches in this £100,000 tournament, contested during six sessions over three days at Tercentenary Hall in the Victoria Stadium are best-of-13 up until the semi-finals, which are best-of-15. The final is decided over 17 frames with all matches adhering to the winner-breaks format. Players have just 30 seconds to take their shot before a foul is called.
The World Pool Masters was first staged in 1993 and has been won by nearly all of the great names of the sport, including Earl ‘The Pearl’ Strickland. Germany’s Ralf Souquet won it six times and two-times winners include Souquet’s compatriot Thomas Engert, American Shane van Boening and the Netherlands’ Niels Feijen, the defending champion.
2019 EDITION
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WORLD POOL MASTERS
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PAST WINNER’S LIST
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Werner Duregger | AUT | |||
Ralf Souquet | GER | |||
Daryl Peach | ENG | |||
Ralf Souquet | GER | |||
Earl Strickland | USA | |||
Francisco Bustamante | PHI | |||
Alex Lely | NED | |||
Ralf Souquet | GER | |||
Francisco Bustamante | PHI | |||
Ralf Souquet | GER | |||
Tony Drago | MLT | |||
Thomas Engert | GER | |||
Raj Hundal | ENG | |||
Ralf Souquet | GER | |||
Thomas Engert | GER | |||
Alex Pagulayan | PHI | |||
Darren Appleton | ENG | |||
Dennis Orcollo | PHI | |||
Ralf Souquet | GER | |||
Karol Skowerski | POL | |||
Niels Feijen | NED | |||
Shane Van Boening | USA | |||
Shane Van Boening | USA | |||
David Alcaide | ESP | |||
Niels Feijen | NED |
This is the third year that the tournament has been staged in Gibraltar with England, the Netherlands, the USA, Poland and the Phillipines staging the event in the past. There are 24 players this year, instead of the normal 16, requiring a preliminary round before the top eight seeds enter the competition.
World Pool Masters XXVI Draw and Schedule
Preliminary Round
Shane van Boening (9) vs. Kelly Fisher
Fedor Gorst (10) vs. Naoyuki Oi
Chris Melling (11) vs. Matt Edwards
Eklent Kaci (12) vs. Earl Strickland
Wu Jiaqing (13) vs. Alex Pagulayan
Petri Makkonen (14) vs. Justin Sajich
Albin Ouschan (15) vs. Jeffrey De Luna
David Alcaide (16) vs. Francisco Sanchez Ruiz
Last 16
Niels Feijen (1) vs. David Alcaide/Francisco Sanchez Ruiz
Han Yu (8) vs. Shane van Boening/Kelly Fisher
Ko Pin Yi (4) vs. Wu Jaiqing/Alex Pagulayan
Jayson Shaw (5) vs Eklent Kaci/Earl Strickland
Alexander Kazakis (3) vs. Petri Makkonen/Justin Sajich
Konrad Juszczyszyn (6) vs. Chris Melling/Matt Edwards
Joshua Filler (2) vs. Albin Ouschan/Jeffrey De Luna
Skyler Woodward (7) vs. Fedor Gorst/ Naoyuki Oi
Match Schedule
Friday, March 29 – Afternoon Session – 13.00 local time
Wu Jiaqing (China) vs. Alex Pagulayan (Canada)
Fedor Gorst (Russia) vs. Naoyuki Oi (Japan)
Albin Ouschan (Austria) vs. Jeffrey De Luna (Philippines)
David Alcaide (Spain) vs. Francisco Sanchez Ruiz (Spain)
Friday, March 29 – Evening Session – 19.00 local time
Eklent Kaci (Albania) vs. Earl Strickland (USA)
Shane Van Boening (USA) vs. Kelly Fisher (England)
Petri Makkonen (Finland) vs. Justin Sajich (Australia)
Chris Melling (England) vs. Matt Edwards (New Zealand)
Saturday, March 30 – Afternoon Session – 13.00 local time
Niels Feijen (Holland) vs. Alcaide/Ruiz
Han Yu (China) vs. SvB/Fisher
Ko Pin Yi (Chinese Taipei) vs. Wu/Pagulayan
Alexander Kazakis (Greece) vs Makkonen/Sajich
Saturday, March 30 – Evening Session – 19.00 local time
Jayson Shaw (Scotland) vs. Kaci/Strickland
Konrad Juszczyszyn (Poland) vs. Melling/Edwards
Joshua Filler (Germany) vs. Ouschan/De Luna
Skyler Woodward (USA) vs. Gorst/Oi
Sunday, March 31 – Afternoon Session – 13.00 local time
Quarter-Final 1
Quarter-Final 2
Quarter-Final 3
Quarter-Final 4
Sunday, March 31 – Evening Session – 19.00 local time
Semi-final 1
Semi-final 2
Final
William Hill have produced a market for the outright winner and make van Boening their 13/2 favourite. The South Dakota Kid has reached the final in three of the last four years so should go deep into the tournament. Scotland’s Jayson Shaw, the US Open champion who was runner-up to Spain’s David Alcaide in Gibraltar in 2017, is 17/2 while Feijen is 10/1 to successful defend his crown and complete a hat-trick of victories. World champion Joshua Filler is 9/1.
World Pool Masters 2019 Outright Betting
Shane Van Boening 13/2
Jayson Shaw 17/2
Joshua Filler 9/1
Ko Pin-Yi 11/1
Skyler Woodward 14/1
Wu Jiaqing, Alex Kazakis, Eklent Kaci and Niels Feijen 16/1
Chris Melling and Albin Ouschan 20/1
Fedor Gorst 22/1
Francisco Sanchez Ruiz 25/1
Alex Pagulayan and David Alcaide 28/1
Naoyuki Oi 33/1
Jeff De Luna and Petri Makkonen 50/1
Konrad Juszczyszyn 66/1
Earl Strickland 100/1
Han Yu, Matt Edwards and Justin Sajich 250/1
Kelly Fisher 500/1
(Odds correct at 10.15am March 25)