Thien defeats world's No. 11 player in World Nine-ball Championship’s opener
VOV.VN - Vietnamese cueist Luong Duc Thien on July 21 pulled off a stunning victory in the opening match of the World 9-Ball Championship 2025 that is currently taking place in Saudi Arabia.
Thien went head-to-head against Shane Van Boening, one of the world’s elite players from the United States, ranked 11th globally. Pre-match predictions had Thien as the underdog, but the Vietnamese cueist surprised many by taking an early lead in the initial racks. Though Van Boening regained control mid-match with a clinical display of world-class shot-making, Thien kept his composure and edged out a nail-biting victory in the deciding rack, winning 9–8.
Meanwhile, his teammate Duong Quoc Hoang also put on an impressive display in a pool match against Ji Faul of South Africa, with a commanding 9–3 win after a confident start.
More Vietnamese players will be in action on July 22. Pham Phuong Nam is scheduled to play Aloysius Yapp of Singapore, whilst Bui Truong An is set to compete with Wiktor Zielinski of Poland.
Later on the same day Nguyen Anh Tuan will play against Pijus Labutis of Lithuania. Labutis, world No. 14, has qualified for the semi-finals of the 2025 European Pool Championship.
The World Nine-ball Championship 2025 held in Saudi Arabia from July 21 to 26 has attracted more than 130 players from around the world, with total prize money of up to US$1 million on offer.
Five Vietnamese players to compete at World Nine-ball Championship
VOV.VN - Vietnam will send five cueists to vie for the World Nine-ball Championship 2025, set to take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from July 21 to 26.
