CHUA LAUNCHES TITLE DEFENCE WITH DOMINANT START IN HANOI | 2025 HANOI OPEN POOL CHAMPIONSHIP
Defending champion Johann Chua began his title defence in emphatic fashion, securing two commanding victories to advance to the Winners’ Qualification stage of the 2025 Hanoi Open Pool Championship.
The 2025 Hanoi Open Pool Championship — the third edition of this prestigious Matchroom Major on the World Nineball Tour — takes place at the Vietnam National Sports Complex in Hanoi, Vietnam, from 8–12 October.
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Following weather delays in the Vietnamese capital, play officially got underway on Wednesday, 8 October, with Chua looking sharp from the start. The Filipino star posted consecutive 9–3 wins over Ivica Putnik and Lin Huang Kuei, demonstrating the same precision and confidence that carried him to last year’s title.
Chua commented: “It feels great to be back in Hanoi. I’m happy with the results but not fully satisfied with my game yet — I know I can play better. Being the defending champion comes with pressure; I could feel it on the table today. But I’m learning to embrace it, enjoy the moment, and focus on one match at a time. I can already start to feel the energy from the Hanoi crowd, and really gives me that extra push.”
Singapore’s Aloysius Yapp opened his campaign for a historic fourth consecutive Open title with a gritty start, overcoming early nerves to secure two hard-fought wins. After trailing 3–0 in his opening match, Yapp battled back to prevail 9–5 before tightening up his rhythm in his second outing to claim a whitewash.
Yapp reflected: “It wasn’t my cleanest day, but I managed to find a way through. I felt a bit nervous in the first match — maybe because of what’s at stake — but I settled better later on. I’m trying not to think about the records or titles, just to stay composed, take my chances, and keep improving each round.”
World No. 1 Fedor Gorst looked every bit the top seed as he cruised through his opening day in Hanoi with two dominant 9–2 victories over Nguyen Le and Masato Yoshioka.
Gorst said: “Proud of the two wins but it’s only the start of the tournament. I really want to prove myself in Hanoi this year. It’s a tournament I love and respect a lot, and the fans here have always shown me great support. That gives me extra motivation — I want to give them something special to cheer for this week.”
Former Hanoi Open champion Jayson Shaw also made a confident start, picking up two impressive wins to set the tone for a strong week ahead.
Shaw shared: “I played solid in both matches. Getting a 9-0 in the first was a surprise because Abdullah’s a good player. I made a few errors in the second match, but overall I’m happy with where my game is. It’s always special playing here — seeing the stands as I play brings back great memories. Hopefully I can make another deep run; I feel good about my form.”
The action continues tomorrow (Thursday, 9 October) with both the Winners’ Qualification and Losers’ Bracket matches resuming, as the field battles to secure a place in the Last 64 single elimination stage.
Don’t miss your chance to witness world-class nineball in the heart of Southeast Asia — secure your tickets now.
Fans can follow the full draw and live rack-by-rack scoring at www.wntlivescores.com, with coverage shown on WNT TV internationally, and in Vietnam via the Vietnam Billiards Promotion YouTube Channel and VTVcab.
