Earl Strickland rolled back the years on the opening day of the 2026 US Open Pool Championship, defeating Eklent Kaçi in a dramatic hill-hill battle, while defending champion Aloysius Yapp, Shane Van Boening and World Champion Carlo Biado all safely progressed through the opening stage in Frisco, Texas.
Marking the 49th edition of the historic tournament, the 2026 US Open Pool Championship takes place at Embassy Suites in Frisco, Texas from 25–30 August, bringing six days of world-class nine-ball action as a 256-player field competes for the prestigious Barry Behrman US Open Trophy, with the tournament showcased live on ESPN+ and WNT TV.
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The headline story of Day One belonged to Earl Strickland, with the 65-year-old American producing a vintage performance to defeat Eklent Kaçi in a thrilling hill-hill encounter.
In a repeat of their 2019 World Pool Masters meeting, Strickland raced into a 4-0 lead before Kaçi fought his way back into the contest. The Albanian reached the hill first at 8-7, but a scratch from the break allowed Strickland to level the match before the American held his nerve to claim the deciding rack following one final safety exchange.
Strickland said: “Kaçi is a tough guy to beat. He’s one of the best players in the world, so it feels good to beat a guy like that. I came into the match ready — I ran six miles before the match and felt pumped up when I walked into the arena.
“Honestly, I thought I should have won it sooner because I gave him a few chances to get back into the match. But that’s pool. I played well when it mattered, had a good run-out in the 16th rack and then played a great safety in the final rack to get the win.
“If I want to go deep, I’m going to need a lot of luck. But I’m playing really good right now, so who knows? Anything could happen.”
Alongside Strickland in the Winners’ Qualification Round is fellow five-time US Open champion Shane Van Boening, who began his pursuit of a historic sixth title with a commanding 9-0 victory over fellow American Glen Davis.
Van Boening commented: “It was great to see such a big crowd around the table. I think that’s important, not just when I’m playing but for the whole event. The US Open deserves a crowd like that from Day One.
“I’ve got a lot of confidence in my game right now. I don’t feel any pressure when I play — I just go out there and enjoy it.
“I was close to winning the title two years ago and I was gutted to miss out, but I feel better prepared this week. If I get another opportunity, I’ll be thankful for it.”
Defending champion Aloysius Yapp also made a winning start to his title defence, overcoming Britain’s Martin Wragg 9-1 before edging past Canada’s Stephen Holem 9-7 to progress to the Winners’ Qualification Round.
Yapp said: “I’ll be honest, I’m feeling nervous about this week. Of course I’m happy with the two wins today, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t feel the pressure. I just need to take my time, get comfortable over the next few matches and stay focused.
“I haven’t been playing my best over the last few weeks, but that’s the nature of the game. We lose more than we win, so you have to trust the process. I know what I need to do to win this title again, so I just have to trust myself and the process.”
Reigning World Champion Carlo Biado also progressed safely through the opening day, producing two composed performances to defeat Americans Juan Parra and Harrison Leinen.
Biado said: “I played really well in both matches. This is one of my favourite events, so I’ve been practising a lot coming into this tournament because I want to make a deep run.
“I want to win the title again. There are a lot of Filipinos here in Texas and it’s been great having them come out and watch my matches. To win the title again here in front of them would be really special.”
The double-elimination continues tomorrow in Frisco, with 256 players battling for survival. Defending champion Aloysius Yapp, five-time champion Shane Van Boening, reigning World Champion Carlo Biado and Earl Strickland return with one goal: keep their US Open dreams alive.
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