WORLD NO.1 GORST SENT HOME BY CAPITO COMEBACK | 2026 UK OPEN POOL CHAMPIONSHIP

Former UK Open champion Robbie Capito produced one of the biggest results of the tournament so far, edging out World No.1 Fedor Gorst in a dramatic hill-hill thriller, while reigning European Open champion Moritz Neuhausen also saw his campaign come to an end on day three of the 2026 UK Open Pool Championship.

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 matches of the tournament saw Robbie Capito and Fedor Gorst go head-to-head in a gripping Last 128 clash that went all the way to the deciding rack.

Capito started strongly before Gorst responded with a dominant stretch of racks to seize control of the match, eventually moving to the hill at 9-4 and looking destined for victory. However, the Hong Kong star refused to back down, mounting a remarkable comeback under pressure to reel off six consecutive racks and snatch a dramatic 10-9 victory to eliminate the World No.1 from the tournament.

Capito said: “Beating Fedor is always difficult because for me he’s the best player in the world right now. When he got into rhythm during the middle part of the match, I knew I had to stay mentally strong and wait for my chance.”

“At 9-9 the pressure is massive, but I trusted myself and stayed calm. Matches like that are why we compete. It gives me a lot of confidence moving forward because I know the level I need to win this title again.”

Elsewhere, European Open champion Moritz Neuhausen saw his hopes of back-to-back Open titles come to a bitter end after falling 10-7 to Mosconi Cup star Tyler Styer.

After battling through the Losers’ Bracket earlier in the week, the American delivered one of his strongest performances of the tournament to eliminate the in-form German and secure his place in the next stage.

Styer said: “Honestly, I haven’t felt at my best this week. It’s taken me a while to adjust to the conditions and dropping into the Losers’ Bracket early made things even tougher.”

“But beating someone like Moritz definitely gives me confidence because he’s been playing unbelievable lately. Last year reaching the semi-finals at the UK Open was huge for me, and this year I want to go even further. The goal now is making the final.”

Defending champion Aloysius Yapp continued his impressive title defence with a dominant 10-2 victory over Hong Kong’s Fu Huan to comfortably book his place in the Last 64.

Despite another convincing scoreline, the Singaporean admitted he still feels there is more to come from his game.

Yapp said: “I actually didn’t feel great today physically, so I’m happy to get through the match comfortably. My game still isn’t exactly where I want it to be yet, but sometimes you need a little bit of luck in tournaments like this and I feel like I had that today.”

“Tomorrow is going to be a much tougher test, so the priority now is resting, recovering, and making sure I’m ready.”

One of the breakout performances of the day came from two-time Junior Open champion Maks Benko, who continued his dream debut with an impressive 10-5 victory over Reyes Cup MVP AJ Manas.

The young Slovenian produced a fearless display to become one of the first players through to the Last 64 stage.

Benko said: “AJ is an amazing player, so getting this win means a lot to me. The last time I was here at the UK Open was in 2024 when I won the Junior Open, and now I’m competing in the main event against the best players in the world. It feels really special.”

“I’m here to prove myself this week and show that I belong at this level. Tomorrow I play Duong, who is another incredible player, but I’m going in believing I can win. I’m here to stay.”

With only 64 players remaining, the battle for the 2026 UK Open crown is reaching boiling point in Brentwood. Defending champion Aloysius Yapp remains firmly on course to retain his title, while former champions Robbie Capito, Eklent Kaçi, and Joshua Filler continue their pursuit of reclaiming the prestigious crown as the tournament edges closer to its business end.

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