Defending champion Joshua Filler moved one step closer to a historic title defence as he secured his place in the semi-finals of the 2026 Roobet European Open Pool Championship, joined by Eklent Kaçi, Moritz Neuhausen and Mario He after a thrilling penultimate day of action.
Taking place in the heart of Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina, the 2026 Roobet European Open Pool Championship returns for its fifth edition at the iconic Hotel Hills from 10–15 March, bringing six days of non-stop nine-ball action on the World Nineball Tour.
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Joshua Filler powered into his second consecutive European Open semi-final with two impressive victories on Day Five. The German first overcame rising Dutch talent Mika Van Berkel 10–8 before defeating Syria’s Mohammad Soufi in the quarter-finals to continue his title defence.
Filler now stands just two wins away from becoming the first player in history to win back-to-back Major titles.
Reflecting on his performances, Filler said: “Today was probably my best performance of the tournament so far. Soufi played unreal as well — we all know he’s a fan favourite and it’s never easy to play against him.
“My break still isn’t perfect and it’s letting me down sometimes, but overall I feel like I’m playing really well and finding ways to win the matches. It would mean a lot to go back-to-back in a Major. There’s still a long way to go though and two great players stand in my way.”
Eklent Kaçi was the first player to secure his place on finals day, producing two strong performances to reach the semi-finals. The Albanian comfortably dispatched Can Salim before edging past his younger brother Kledio Kaçi in a competitive 10–8 quarter-final clash.
Kaçi said: “Playing my brother was a win-win situation for me. Of course I want to win, but if he had beaten me I would still be proud. I’m really happy with the way Kledio is playing — he’s becoming a very solid player and I believe he’s close to winning big titles soon.
“For me, winning this tournament would be very important. Starting the year with a Major title would give me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season.”
Mosconi Cup MVP Moritz Neuhausen also booked his place in the semi-finals after navigating two intense matches. He first defeated Robbie Capito 10–7 before overcoming recently crowned Premier League Pool champion Duong Quoc Hoang in a dramatic hill-hill battle.
Neuhausen said: “That was one of the most exciting matches I’ve played in the last couple of years. I told myself before the match that I would give everything I had, and both me and Duong really fought our hearts out at the table. This is what makes events like this so special. Winning this tournament would mean almost everything to me. I feel like I’ve been playing well all week, so I believe I have a real chance.”
Completing the final four was Mario He, who produced two strong performances to reach the semi-finals, defeating Arseni Sevastyanov before overcoming Oliver Szolnoki, to secure his place on the final day.
The Austrian said: “I’m honestly thrilled to make it to the final day. It was a long day of matches, but I’m really happy I managed to come through. It feels like I’ve been waiting a long time to reach the semi-finals of a Matchroom Major.But the job isn’t finished yet. I came here to fight for the title, and now I want to take that next step and win the European crown.”
With the final four now confirmed, the stage is set for an electrifying conclusion as the remaining contenders battle for the 2026 Roobet European Open crown.
2026 NXT GEN Sarajevo
Day Five also marked the conclusion of NXT GEN Sarajevo, the inaugural junior event under the World Nineball Tour’s new NXT GEN banner. North Macedonia’s Andrej Gjurchinovski captured his first junior title on the World Nineball Tour, producing a composed performance to defeat Lithuania’s Ąžuolas Tadaravičius 9–5 in the final, securing a top prize of $2,500.
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