World No.1 Fedor Gorst made a commanding start to his US Open Pool Championship title defence with two dominant day one wins, as he bids to become only the fifth player in history to retain the crown.
The 2025 LiveSB.io US Open Pool Championship — the 48th edition of the World Nineball Tour’s most prestigious major — returns to the iconic Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, New Jersey, from 18–23 August.
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Gorst looked unstoppable in his opening matches, dropping just a single rack across wins against Reginald Jackson and Chang Tzu Chien.
“It feels great to be back here in Atlantic City. The US Open is one of my favourite events and defending this title means a lot to me. Today I felt comfortable at the table, even though it took a little while to adjust to the conditions. I made a few strong jump shots, broke well, and overall I’m happy with my rhythm. Hopefully I can keep that going — if I do, I think a three-peat is possible.”
Also chasing history this week is five-time US Open champion Shane Van Boening, who began his quest for a record-breaking sixth title with a 9-4 victory over fellow American Adam Sisneros.
“It’s always special to start another US Open campaign. I got the win, but I wasn’t pleased with how I finished that match — I know I need to tighten things up if I’m going to go all the way. There’s still a long road ahead, and I’m as hungry as ever for that sixth title.”
Fresh from his Florida Open triumph earlier this month, Aloysius Yapp continued his fine run of form by overcoming Americans Joseph Blyler and Stephen Fleming to progress into the Winners’ Qualification stage.
“It wasn’t the cleanest performance — I struggled a bit in both matches — but sometimes you just have to grind it out. The Florida Open win was a big confidence boost, but this is a new tournament and anything can happen. My focus is on staying sharp and giving my best in every match.”
Meanwhile, one of the biggest shocks of the day came courtesy of rising German star Felix Vogel, who stunned the other five-time US Open champion, Earl Strickland with a ruthless 9-2 victory.
“It was an unbelievable experience to play against one of the greatest players of all time. I was nervous at the start because Earl is such a legend, but once I settled in I felt like everything went my way. I got some rolls of the ball, took my chances, and it feels amazing to get a win like that. It’s a huge honour, and one I’ll never forget.”
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Fans can follow the full draw and live rack-by-rack scoring at www.wntlivescores.com, with coverage of the action shown on WNT TV in the USA and other selected international territories. Full broadcast list can be found here.
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