Shane Van Boening delivered a flawless performance on Day Two of the 2025 European Open Pool Championship, storming past Adko Jakupovic and former World Pool Masters champion Tony Drago with back-to-back dominant victories.
For the first time, the prestigious championship is being hosted at Hills Hotel in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, in partnership with the Ministry of Culture and Sports of Sarajevo Canton. The tournament runs from March 11-16, bringing world-class nine-ball action to the heart of the Balkans, on Sky Sports to the UK & Ireland, and WNT TV to the USA, Vietnam, and other international regions.
Van Boening entered this year’s European Open determined to capture his first European Open title after falling short in last year’s semi-final against reigning champion Mickey Krause. The five-time US Open winner wasted no time making his mark in Sarajevo, cruising past Bosnia’s Jakupovic with a commanding 9-1 victory, firing in five break-and-runs along the way.
Next, the South Dakota Kid faced an old Mosconi Cup rival, Tony Drago, and delivered a ruthless 9-0 whitewash in just 29 minutes, securing his spot in the next round with ease. Fellow Mosconi Cup teammate Billy Thorpe also impressed, booking his place in Winners’ Qualification with victories over Jere Viraranta and Chen Chen Wei.
Hanoi Open champion Johann Chua, eager to make amends for last year’s European Open final defeat, began his campaign in style with a dominant 9-1 win over Mustafa Hadzibajric. However, his second match proved far more challenging, as he found himself trailing 5-2 against Boris Ivanovski before rallying to scrape a hard-fought 9-8 comeback victory.
Reyes Cup MVP Aloysius Yapp was in unstoppable form, storming through with emphatic wins of 9-2 and 9-1 over Said Vilic and Dritar Bajrami, respectively. The Singaporean joins the rest of Team Asia in the next round, with Ko Pin Yi also advancing after dispatching Senad Mulabdic and Scott Frost.
Meanwhile, Ko Ping Chung followed his brother into Winners’ Qualification, but their younger sibling, Ko Ping Han, fell into the Losers’ Bracket after a tough defeat to Tang Ching Ting in his second match. Determined to keep his campaign alive, the youngest Ko bounced back with a hard-fought 8-6 victory over Suliman Guolum to head into the next round tomorrow.
David Alcaide, the 2023 European Open champion, made a strong start in his bid to reclaim the title, replicating his compatriot Francisco Sanchez Ruiz’s first-day success with two commanding wins. Also making waves was snooker champion Gary Wilson, returning to the European Open with ambitions of surpassing last year’s run to the Last 64. The Englishman secured two crucial wins over Abdullah Alqattan and Lo Ho Sum to keep his tournament
hopes alive.
In addition, Joshua Filler and his World Cup of Pool teammate, Moritz Neuhausen, delivered stellar performances on Day Two, both booking their places in the next round. Filler was in devastating form, storming to back-to-back 9-0 whitewash victories, showcasing his trademark dominance on the table.
With the stakes rising, the action in Sarajevo continues tomorrow, as the remaining hopefuls battle for a place in the single elimination stage of the championship.
Session Times
The European Open Championship will take place from March 11-16
All times are local (CEST)
11-14 March – from 10 am daily
15 March – 12 pm – 4:30 pm / 6:30 pm – 10:30 pm
16 March – 12 pm – 4:30 pm / 6:30 pm – 9:30 pm
Don’t miss the chance to catch the action as the 2025 European Open Pool Championship unfolds in Sarajevo –
Spectator tickets available here!
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