The opening day of the 2026 Roobet Philippines Open Pool Championship brought shocks at Gateway Mall in Quezon City, with reigning European Open champion Moritz Neuhausen, Team Asia duo Francisco Bustamante and AJ Manas all crashed out, while defending champion David Alcaide and World No.1 Aloysius Yapp made emphatic starts.
NEVER MISS A MOMENT – WATCH THE ACTION ON WNT TV NOW
The biggest upset of the day came as Neuhausen fell 10–6 to local player Meynard Tipawan. The German never found his rhythm, and Tipawan took full advantage to complete a memorable win and stop Neuhausen’s dream of Mosconi Cup qualification.
Reflecting on the upset, Neuhausen said: “I missed the same ball three times, so what can you expect? I’ve not played well, and I’ve paid the price. All I can do now is take some time to focus.”
Manas suffered perhaps the cruellest exit of the day. He led Rommel Janael Santos 8–3 and looked to be cruising into the next round, but Santos staged a remarkable fightback, reeling off rack after rack to force a hill-hill decider and snatch a stunning 10–9 victory.
Manas said: “I had a great start. I was 8–3 up, but I missed the 6-ball to get on the hill, and he took his chance. He played really well, so he deserved the win. I’m just happy to see the fans here. It shows how big billiards is in the Philippines.”
There was further heartbreak for the home crowd as Bustamante, just days after captaining Asia at the Reyes Cup, suffered a chastening 10–0 defeat to fellow Filipino Rodrigo Geronimo.
Bustamante said: “I feel tired, especially after last week’s Reyes Cup, but my opponent is a very good player, one of the top ten in the Philippines. It’s still tough to compete with the top players, and today my game wasn’t where it needed to be. I missed a lot of balls. That’s pool, you know.”
Alcaide showed few signs of pressure as he began his title defence, easing past local player Rodlin John Bautista 10–1.
Alcaide said: “I feel good and I’m playing well. You can’t want more than that. I love being back here; the crowd are special. This is what pool is about. I’m excited to defend my title this week. I’m just going to have fun and enjoy it.”
Yapp also made his mark in Manila, overcoming a difficult start to beat American Raphael Dabreo 10–2 on his Philippines Open debut and reach the Last 64.
Yapp said: “I started really badly. I was using a different shaft and struggling a lot, so I switched back and played a little bit better. It was a scrappy match, but I’m relieved to get the win. I would love to go all the way this week, but I need to step my game up if I want to do that. Right now, I’m just focusing match by match.”
Former Hanoi Open champion Johann Chua, back on the World Nineball Tour stage, had no trouble booking his place in the Last 64 either.
Chua said: “I’m feeling relieved. I didn’t expect much from my performance at this tournament, but I’m happy to be back at a Matchroom Major. I’m excited for this week, and I’m ready to take on the top stars again. And listen, if I play like I did today, who knows? I might get the title.”
Yapp and Chua join last week’s Team Asia players Carlo Biado, Albert Januarta, Robbie Capito and Duong Quoc Hoang in the next round. Duong produced one of the day’s standout performances, whitewashing Aleksandar Atanasov 10–0 in just 52 minutes.
The action continues tomorrow at Gateway Mall, where Reyes Cup champions Shane Van Boening, Fedor Gorst, Francisco Sánchez Ruiz, Aleksa Pecelj, and captain Ralf Souquet look to continue their winning form in Manila.
The 2026 Roobet Philippines Open Pool Championship returns to the iconic Gateway Mall in Quezon City, Manila, from 20–24 October, live on One Sport in the Philippines and on WNT TV across the globe.
For all the latest updates, follow World Nineball Tour on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, LinkedIn and YouTube.