Moritz Neuhausen completed a remarkable comeback to be crowned the 2026 Roobet European Open Champion, defeating Austria’s Mario He in a dramatic final to secure his long-awaited maiden Major Open title on the World Nineball Tour.
Reflecting on the biggest victory of his career, Neuhausen said: “This win feels different because it definitely wasn’t a gift. It was a really hard-fought battle and I feel very fortunate to come out on top. I’ve been chasing an Open title for a long time, but even with all the tough matches this week I always believed I had what it takes to win one. And now it’s finally happened.”
Final
Moritz Neuhausen 13 – 7 Mario He
Mario He started the final in commanding fashion, capitalising immediately after winning the lag to take the opening two racks. The Austrian continued to apply pressure with confident shot-making and strong table control, stretching his advantage to 7–2 as he looked poised to run away with the match.
But the contest soon turned dramatically. Neuhausen seized his opportunity and began building momentum rack by rack. With calm precision and composure, the German mounted one of the most remarkable turnarounds seen in a final, reeling off eleven consecutive racks to complete an extraordinary 13–7 comeback victory.
Neuhausen said: “First of all, congratulations to Mario — he played an amazing tournament. His recent results don’t really show how strong his game is. Today he played great and being 7–2 down was because of how well he controlled the table.
“He didn’t play badly and didn’t make any big mistakes, but somehow everything turned around for me. I stayed patient, kept believing, and today the pool gods were definitely on my side.”
Neuhausen’s route to the title was anything but straightforward. Earlier in the day he delivered a commanding 11–5 semi-final victory over Eklent Kaçi, after navigating a difficult path through the knockout stages that included wins over Robbie Capito and Premier League Pool champion Duong Quoc Hoang on the penultimate day.
Reflecting on his week, Neuhausen said: “I honestly didn’t feel great at the start of the tournament. My game felt a little bit all over the place in the early rounds. But I kept digging deep, taking it match by match and trying to stay focused. That mindset helped me get through the tough moments, and in the end it’s the reason I made it to the final — and the reason I’m standing here with the trophy.”
The triumph marks another milestone in what has been a rapid rise for the German star. After capturing his first Matchroom Major title at last year’s Premier League Pool in Sarajevo, Neuhausen has continued to build momentum with a series of standout performances — including winning the Peri Open, reaching the Hanoi Open final, and earning Mosconi Cup MVP on his debut for Team Europe.
The 2026 Roobet European Open title now adds a maiden Major Open crown to his growing list of achievements and further cements Neuhausen’s status as one of the most formidable players on the World Nineball Tour.
The 2026 Roobet European Open Pool Championship took place at the iconic Hotel Hills in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina, from 10–15 March, with more than 200 players from across the globe competing in the fifth edition of the prestigious Matchroom Major.
NEXT WNT RANKING EVENT
The World Nineball Tour continues with the Cuetec Belgium Open, taking place in Ostend, Belgium, from 19–23 March, where players from across the globe will compete for a $32,000 prize fund.
NEXT MATCHROOM MAJOR
The next Matchroom Major is the UK Open Pool Championship, set to take place in Brentwood, United Kingdom, from 26–31 May, where 256 of the world’s best players will battle it out for a $225,000 prize fund.
For all the latest updates, follow Matchroom Pool on Facebook, Instagram, X, TikTok, and YouTube.