PEHLIVANOVIC HOLDS NERVE AS RUIZ, DUONG AND KAÇI ADVANCE | 2026 ROOBET EUROPEAN OPEN POOL CHAMPIONSHIP
Hometown favourite Sanjin Pehlivanovic survived a tense opening battle in Sarajevo, while Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, Duong Quoc Hoang and Eklent Kaçi all produced impressive performances to reach the single-elimination stage of the 2026 Roobet European Open Pool Championship.
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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Local star Sanjin Pehlivanovic was pushed to the limit in his opening match, battling past Afghanistan’s Qeis Mansoor in a dramatic contest. Mansoor kept pace with the Bosnian throughout, levelling the match at 7–7 before Pehlivanovic seized his moment, producing a crucial break-and-run to close out the final two racks and secure a hard-fought 9–7 victory.
Reflecting on the match, Pehlivanovic commented: “It wasn’t the best performance from me. There were a lot of ups and downs and quite a few mistakes. I was struggling a little with the speed of the table — there were some really nice shots and then some terrible ones as well. I’ve spent more time on the practice table to get used to the speed, so hopefully the next performance will be better.
“It’s really special to have a Major here in Sarajevo, but of course there’s a lot of pressure playing at home. At the same time it’s nice to be in my hometown and not have to travel. Pool is growing here in the country and the fans are really excited to see more of the professional players. They love Fedor, so I’m glad he’s here too.”
At the other end of the spectrum, former World Champion Francisco Sanchez Ruiz delivered one of the most dominant performances of the day, cruising to a 9–0 whitewash in just 36 minutes to book his place in the knockout stage.
Ruiz said: “I feel good. My opponent gave me quite a few chances and I was able to take advantage of them. At the start I had a couple of dry breaks — it’s always a bit tricky to figure out the break in the first round — but after that I managed to put together four break-and-runs.
Tomorrow is a new day and it becomes a new tournament with the single-elimination stage and slightly longer matches. There are so many great players here, so my focus is just to play my best every round and see what happens.”
Fresh off his Premier League Pool triumph in Florida, Duong Quoc Hoang continued his strong run of form with a confident 9–2 victory over Countryman Amar Idrizovic as he began his pursuit of a second World Nineball Tour Major title.
Sharing his thoughts on returning to Sarajevo, Duong said: “Today I didn’t start my match as well as I hoped because it took a little time to settle in, but I’m feeling better now and ready for the next match tomorrow. It’s always peaceful being back in Bosnia. Sarajevo has a very calm atmosphere that I really enjoy, so whatever happens this week, I know I’ll enjoy the tournament.”
Eklent Kaçi also powered into the knockout stage with authority, defeating Gert Maimre 9–1 in a commanding display that included a spectacular golden break.
Kaçi said: “I felt good today. My break felt like it was really on point and if I can keep that going, I think I’m in for a good tournament. I feel like the practice I’ve put in this year is starting to show results. Reaching the semi-finals in Florida last month gave me confidence, and this week I feel like I could be close to winning another title. Now it’s time to stay focused and keep going.”
The stakes rise tomorrow as the tournament moves into the single-elimination stage. Defending champion Joshua Filler continues his title defence alongside World No.1 Fedor Gorst, with the remaining 128 players battling to secure their place in the Last 64 of the 2026 Roobet European Open Pool Championship.
For the full draw and live scoring, visit www.wntlivescores.com.
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