GORST BEGINS GLORIOUS TITLE DEFENCE AS DRAW CONFIRMED FOR 2025 WORLD POOL CHAMPIONSHIP IN SAUDI ARABIA

The draw has been confirmed for the 2025 World Pool Championship – the sport’s most prestigious title – taking place from 21–26 July at the Green Halls in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, returning for its second consecutive year in the Kingdom.

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The crown jewel of the World Nineball Tour calendar will feature a 128-player field made up of the world’s elite professionals, competing for a $1,000,000 prize fund – with the champion set to take home $250,000.

Selected First Round Matches

Fedor Gorst (USA) v Sam Henderson (USA)
Shane Van Boening (USA) v Luong Duc Thien (VIE)
Francisco Sanchez Ruiz (ESP) v Hamza Al Awaidi (KSA)
Jayson Shaw (GBR) v Khaled Al-Otaibi (KSA)
AJ Manas (PHI) v Alexis Ferrer (PHI)
David Alcaide (ESP) v Marvin Asis (PHI)
Joshua Filler (GER) v Kuo Po Cheng (TPE)
Albin Ouschan (AUT) v Emil Gangflot (NOR)
John Morra (CAN) v Khalid Alghamdi (KSA)
Ko Pin Yi (TPE) v Bader Alawadhi (KUW)
Eklent Kaçi (ALB) v Imran Majid (GBR)

All eyes will be on Fedor Gorst, who returns as defending World Champion following a dominant 2024 campaign that included titles at not only World Pool Championships but the US Open and World Pool Masters. The world number one begins his defence in an all-American showdown with rising talent Sam Henderson.

Shane Van Boening, a former World Champion and five-time US Open winner, faces Vietnam’s Luong Duc Thien, while former world champion Francisco Sanchez Ruiz meets Saudi Arabia’s Hamza Al Awaidi in front of home fans.

Former World Champion Jayson Shaw returns to Jeddah to face local hopeful Khaled Al-Otaibi, while Filipino fan favourite AJ Manas takes on countryman Alexis Ferrer in a high-stakes domestic clash. Spanish star David Alcaide also meets rising Filipino talent Marvin Asis, and Joshua Filler draws a blockbuster first-round tie with Chinese Taipei cueist Kuo Po Cheng.

Two-time World Champion Albin Ouschan starts against Norway’s Emil Gangflot, while Canada’s John Morra faces Saudi representative Khalid Alghamdi. Ko Pin Yi, a former World Champion himself, begins his campaign against Bader Alawadhi of Kuwait, and Eklent Kaçi opens with an eye-catching match against Great Britain’s Imran Majid.

Fans can follow the full draw and live rack-by-rack scoring at www.wntlivescores.com, with global coverage on SSC (KSA), Sky Sports (UK & Ireland), and WNT TV in selected international territories.

Returning to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for a second consecutive year, the World Pool Championship promises another unforgettable week as the world’s best compete for the biggest prize in nineball.

Don’t miss your chance to experience pool’s greatest show live in Jeddah – secure your tickets now.

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