Mickey Krause has claimed the title of 2024 European Open Pool champion, defeating Johann Chua 12-8 at Hotel Esperanto in Fulda, Germany.
Final Result: Mickey Krause 12-8 Johann Chua
The match began as a tactical battle, with Chua taking the first rack and Krause responding in kind. In the third rack, Chua led initially but faltered on a 2-7 combo, allowing Krause to seize the opportunity and take the lead.
In the fourth rack, Krause made a sharp jump shot on the 3-ball but left himself hooked on the 5-ball. Chua had a chance to level the score but missed a crucial 6-ball, allowing Krause to maintain his lead. The Danish Viking then extended his advantage by winning three consecutive racks, including a skillful long bank shot on the 6-ball in the fifth, bringing the score to 4-1.
Krause’s momentum was briefly interrupted when he scratched on an attempt to pot the 6-ball, giving Chua a chance to pull back a rack. However, Chua’s fortune turned in the following rack when he scratched on the 8-ball, enabling Krause to continue his rack-winning streak.
In the tenth rack, after a dry break from Krause, Chua attempted to narrow the gap but faltered by missing a critical 5-ball, gifting another rack to Krause, who pushed the score to 8-2.
The eleventh rack highlighted Chua’s struggle. After Krause made an error on the 4-ball, Chua tried to capitalise, even fluking the 6-ball. Yet, his hopes were dashed when he missed the 9-ball, extending Krause’s lead to 9-2.
Chua managed to secure a third rack after a dry break from Krause but quickly relinquished control with another miss in the 13th rack, allowing Krause to make it 10-3.
Despite the odds, Chua took advantage of another dry break from Krause in the 14th rack and secured the next one. In the 15th rack, Chua hooked himself on the 7-ball, seemingly setting up Krause to close out the match. However, Krause’s own error parked the 7-ball in the pocket, handing the rack to Chua, who made it 10-5.
Misfortune continued for Chua as he broke dry in the 16th rack, allowing Krause to reach the hill. Chua mounted a valiant effort with a three-rack run after another scratch from Krause, narrowing the score to 12-8. But in the end, a missed 8-ball from Chua sealed his fate, and Krause capitalised to claim the European crown.
Mickey Krause not only celebrated his first-ever Matchroom Major title that evening but also secured his place in the inaugural Reyes Cup later this year.
NEXT WORLD NINEBALL TOUR EVENT
Raxx MVP Open will take place at Raxx Pool Room, West Hempstead, NY, United States from August 15-18
with a prize fund of $48,400.
NEXT MATCHROOM EVENT
The next signature Matchroom multi-table open event will be the US Open Pool Championship in Atlantic City, NJ, United States. The tournament takes place from August 19-24 at Harrah’s Resort.
For more information, click here.
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