JANUARTA CRASHES OUT AS GORST AND RUIZ BATTLE ON | 2026 UK OPEN POOL CHAMPIONSHIP

Albert Januarta suffered a dramatic early exit at the hands of snooker star Chris Wakelin, while World No.1 Fedor Gorst and former World Champion Francisco Sanchez Ruiz survived tense Losers’ Bracket battles to keep their UK Open dreams alive on day two.

The fifth edition of the UK Open Pool Championship continues at the Brentwood Centre from 26–31 May, delivering six days of world-class nine-ball action and drama on the World Nineball Tour as the sport’s biggest stars battle it out for one of the calendar’s most prestigious Open titles.

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One of the standout stories of the day saw Indonesian rising star Albert Januarta knocked out from the tournament after a thrilling contest against former snooker ranking event winner Chris Wakelin.

Januarta looked in complete control early on, racing into a 4-0 lead, but Wakelin gradually settled into the contest and capitalised on his opportunities to turn the match around before completing a memorable 9-7 victory.

Wakelin said: “Honestly, even watching Albert in the practice room I thought I was in trouble. The standard these guys play at is unbelievable. Some of the shots they pull off are things I can only dream about. I don’t even own a jump cue, so I knew I had to rely on my strengths and back my potting ability.”

“When it got to 7-7 the nerves really kicked in, but I loved every second of it. The atmosphere was brilliant and I’m proud of the way I stayed composed at the end. It’s a huge win for me.”

After suffering a shock defeat on opening day, World No.1 Fedor Gorst responded in emphatic fashion to secure his place in the single-elimination stage, defeating both Wiktor Fortunski and Pius Baier to keep his title hopes alive.

Gorst commented: “Yesterday was disappointing, but that’s the game — you have to move on quickly. Today was more about staying composed, playing smart, and surviving. I still don’t think I’m at my best yet, but I competed much better and found a better rhythm on the table.”

“Once you’re in the Losers’ Bracket there’s no room for mistakes. Every match feels like a final now, but I’m happy to still be here and I’m looking forward to the knockout stages.”

Gorst now joins defending champion Aloysius Yapp in the Last 128 after the Singaporean continued his title defence with another assured display in Brentwood.

Former World Champion Francisco Sanchez Ruiz also endured a rollercoaster day after suffering a surprise 9-4 defeat to debutant Fabio Rizzi, dropping the Spaniard into the danger zone.

However, Ruiz responded in champion fashion, eliminating former World Champion Darren Appleton 9-3 to stay alive in the tournament.

Ruiz said: “I didn’t play well at all in my first match today. Maybe I lost focus a little bit and against these players you get punished immediately. It was a wake-up call for me.”

“Against Darren I knew I had to bring a different energy and a much better level. I stayed focused from the start and I’m happy with the way I responded. From now on there are no second chances, so every match becomes even more important.”

Fresh off capturing the European Open title, Moritz Neuhausen continued his impressive form with a commanding 9-3 victory over Lithuania’s Jokubas Silantjevas to book his place in the single-elimination rounds.

Neuhausen said: “It feels great coming into this event as the European Open champion. Winning that title gave me a lot of confidence and taught me a lot about handling pressure in the big moments.”

“But this tournament is a completely new challenge. The standard is so high and now we move into single elimination where one bad match can send you home. I feel confident in my game and if I stay focused, I know I can make another deep run this week.”

The UK Open field has now been cut to the final 128 players as the tournament heads into the single-elimination stage, where there are no more second chances and every rack becomes crucial in the battle for the 2026 UK Open crown.

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