Both the Bucharest Open and Slovenia Open have been added to the nineball schedule and will award ranking points this year Matchroom have announced two additions to the nineball world rankings with the addition of the Bucharest Open from May 13-15 in Bucharest and a further EuroTour tournament in Slovenia from October 1-3. The Bucharest Open benefits from extensive TV coverage in Romania from national TV station A1 with four tables also available to watch for free on the IDM Pool Tour Facebook page throughout the tournament. The eventual winner will take home $5,000 in first place with the likes of the USA’s Shane Van Boening already amongst the list of entrants with vital ranking points on offer. With the inaugural UK Open Pool Championship set to get underway at the Copper Box Arena, London set to get underway from May 17-22, the Bucharest Open offers the perfect warm-up for players looking for a tune-up ahead of the action in England with a double-elimination format till the last 32 and a race to nine format throughout. The EuroTour’s Slovenia Open joins the schedule alongside the Lasko Open, Treviso Open, St Johann im Pongau Open, and Petrich Open promoted by the EuroTour as ranking events. Money earned by players during ranking, major and blue ribbon events featured on the nineball schedule will contribute to the standings on the 2023 rankings as part of Matchroom’s goal to recognise nineball as the primary discipline of pool worldwide, as well as offering the chance for European and USA players the opportunity to qualify for the 2022 Mosconi Cup through the merit of their performances. Matchroom Multi-Sport Managing Director Emily Frazer said: “It is fantastic to have the Bucharest Open added to our list of nineball world ranking events. The tournament offers a great opportunity for players to force their way into contention for the 2022 Mosconi Cup as well as at the same time warm-up for the inaugural UK Open. “The team in Bucharest have big ambitions for where they see the tournament heading and with such great exposure already in Romania, I am excited to see where it will head and how we will help maximise exposure for future events. “It’s already pleasing to see the likes of Van Boening willing to travel for tournaments globally like this. For these events, it’s all about careful scheduling sandwiching between the sports major events.”

Dutchman Neils Feijen landed his third European Championship nineball title after defeating Daniel Guttenburg in Slovenia Niels Feijen, the 45-year-old multi-titled Dutch star, added another championship to his resume as he over-powered Austria’s Daniel Guttenberg in the final match of the men's nineball discipline at the European Championships in Lasko, Slovenia. It was his second gold medal in nineball and eleventh overall. Coming into the match as a big underdog, Guttenberger made just too many mistakes and against a player of Feijen’s calibre, they were ruthlessly punished. The Dutchman’s confidence was in full bloom from the very start of the match and it grew with every successive rack won. Feijen commented: “People say it’s a young man’s game and it is and it isn't. As long as you stay fit and keep improving and you stay hungry, then it's anybody's game. The older you get, the commitment changes a little bit. I’m a family man and I have other things on the side, so my commitment and drive are not like it was in my 20s and 30s. “But I'm going to enjoy this now. We're going to jump in the river across from the hotel and enjoy the night. It's an amazing feeling and it's not getting any easier, the level of play is so high. But to win two bronzes and to finish it off with a gold is a great feeling.” Feijen won the lag and saw the 1 ball drop into the corner pocket and quick-fire combination on the two and nine gave him the opening rack. Guttenberger, playing in his first ever European Championship final, looked very comfortable as he ran through the balls to level the score at 1-1. Feijen pushed out in the next after five balls were locked together around the head rail. The Austrian gave the table back and both players went back and forth with safeties. Guttenberger looked in the ascendancy after Feijen left the three ball out which Guttenberg potted. He did all the hard work but missed a relatively simple five into the centre pocket and The Terminator took his chance and the lead at 2-1. A dry break from the Austrian left a messy table as the rack became tactical. Feijen, though, failed to put the 1 ball safe and Guttenberger, rather than pot it, laid an easy snooker that left Feijen few options. He went for a one rail escape but missed to give ball in hand. Guttenberger, though, missed the 5 ball when the run out looked favourite and Feijen once again, took the opportunity to increase his lead to 3-1. Feijen made the one and two balls on the break and with a makeable shot on the 3 ball, managed the run out to give himself a very tidy 4-1 lead. Guttenberger was under some pressure now. Coming into the match as the underdog, he really needed to stick with Feijen but a few needless mistakes had let the Dutchman forge ahead. Another bad error from the Austrian handed the table back to Feijen, and looking the picture of determination, he cleared up to take a 5-1 lead in the race to nine. Feijen looked unstoppable in the next as he ran out, executing shots to perfection, to move his lead to 6-1. It looked like mission impossible for Guttenberger, and it became worse when he scratched pocketing the 2-ball and handing an open table to his opponent. Feijen though made an uncharacteristic slip as he missed the six ball and Guttenberger wrapped it up to trail 6-2. Three balls went down for Feijen on the break and with a shot on the three ball, the run out looked a certainty and he increased his lead to 7-2. Guttenberger made two balls on his break and with the three ball available into the centre pocket, it was a golden chance to stop the rot. Holding off his nerves, he ran out as the score moved to 7-3. Another crushing break from the veteran Dutchman saw two balls drop and he made no mistakes as he quickly ran out to reach the hill. In the next, with no pocket available for the two ball, Guttenberger tied the cue ball up behind the four ball. Feijen's escape left a long pressure two ball which the Austrian potted and held himself together well to take the rack. With the title a rack away, Feijen played a perfect break. The balls were all out in the open, and the master Dutchman ran out for his eleventh European Championship Individual gold medal.

Poland’s Oliwia Zalewska whitewashed Ana Gradisnik of Slovenia to lift the Women’s European Championship for the first time Poland's Oliwia Zalewska won her third European Championships gold medal, this time in the women's nineball, as she enjoyed a surprisingly easy win over Slovenian hope Ana Gradisnik, running out a 7-0 whitewash winner. Having not really showed in the other disciplines, Zalewska saved her best till last. She lost her first match in the nineball division but battled her way through the one-loss side to reach the single elimination last 16. Wins over Silvia Lopez Fibla (Spain) and Sweden’s My Nguyen left her a semi-final pairing against Spain’s dangerous Amalia Matas. A 7-0 win put her into the championship match which she cruised through for the gold. “During the final, I wasn’t thinking about winning the title; I’m thinking about the game and my level of playing. Of course, I love this feeling of winning and yes, the whole of the time spent practising and the emotions that go into it are all a big part of this victory,” said Zalewska. The gold medallist is the mother of an 18-month-old child and added: “I’m sorry my baby can’t be here with me and my husband, but it would be too long to spend away from home so we will all enjoy this title when we get home.”

Russian and Belarusian players have been banned from international pool events, including both the World Pool Championship and World 10-Ball Championship

Pehlivanovic of Bosnia and Herzegovina was victorious in the European 10-Ball Championship as Kibaroglu defended her women’s crown Sanjin Pehlivanovic put on a classic display of tenball to claim the gold medal in the men’s discipline for Bosnia & Herzegovina at the European Championships in Lasko, Slovenia. The 20-year-old’s break was his main weapon as he delivered an impressive display to defeat Poland’s Wojciech Szewczyk by 8-5. Following a heartbreaking near miss last year in the final of the nineball discipline, when he missed an easy nine ball on the hill against Joshua Filler when victory was in his grasp, it was sweet redemption for Pehlivanovic and his joy in victory was fully manifested at the end. “It feels incredible and I don’t know how to describe my emotions right now because six months ago I wanted it so badly and I had it but my emotions went too far. Of course, I’m really happy that I managed it this time. This whole tournament I was playing really well, holding my emotions and I only had one goal and I only came for what I left last year,” said an emotional Pehlivanovic after the match. Pehlivanovic won the lag and delivered the first of what would be a succession of excellent break shots. Nudging the eight away from the four ball, he then played a nice bank on the pink to set up the run out. A dry break from Szewczyk left the table open for his opponent but Pehlivanovic was forced to play safe on the six ball as it was too close to the ten ball to pocket it. They exchanged safeties before Szewczyk pocketed the 6 in the wrong pocket following a bank. With Pehlivanovic back at the table, he cleared for a 2-0 lead. Three balls on the break and a wide-open table looked promising for Pehlivanovic but he missed a difficult 1 ball and a good safety from Szewczyk saw his opponent scratch trying to bank his way out of trouble. With ball in hand, the Pole cleared the table for his first rack of the final. Another missed bank from Szewczyk handed the initiative back to Sanjin but he slightly ran out of position and missed the two ball which fell into a non-nominated pocket. Szewczyk played a tight safety with three balls left on the table and his opponent’s hit-and-hope left it open for the run out as the score moved to 2-2. Another crunching break from Pehlivanovic left him to play a safety on the one ball. They went back and forth before Szewczyk missed the one down table and with ball in hand, Pehlivanovic cleared for 3-2. Szewczyk ran out from the break in the next to level the match at 3-3, before Pehlivanovic did similar to regain the lead. Szewczyk had a shot on the one ball in the next but with the eight ball blocking its path to the corner pocket, he played a tidy carom. However, the cue ball followed the eight in to give Pehlivanovic a real opportunity to increase his lead and he made no mistakes to move to 5-3. Then another fine run out from the break saw Pehlivanovic move to 6-3. A great shot from Szewczyk followed the break as he pocketed the two ball and made a difficult position on the three, opening up the rack. He ran out for 6-4 to keep his hopes alive. The Pole needed a slip up from his opponent in the next but another exemplary break from Sanjin put him into position to run the table and he obliged to reach the hill at 7-4. Szewczyk wasn’t finished but with the racks running out he couldn’t afford a single mistake and an outstanding jump shot set up a clearance to get him to 7-5. That was his last visit as Pehlivanovic finished how he started with another superb break shot, followed by a run out to earn himself his first senior European Championship gold medal. For Szewczyk, a silver was his best ever effort and bronze medals went to beaten semi-finalists Niels Feijen (NED) and Roberto Bartol of Croatia. “I’m trying always to think positive, but it’s pool and you have many ups and downs, so I’m just trying to stay positive, play my best game and hold my emotions which is the most important thing. Now I can breathe really good because these six months I’ve had flashbacks to last year but I think it’s made me stronger,” added Pehlivanovic.

Polish youngster Wiktor Zielinski sealed his second successive Euro Tour triumph at the second Nineball world ranking tournament of the year Wiktor Zielinski is the 2022 Lasko Open champion after downing Joshua Filler 9-7 in a pulsating final in Slovenia. It was the 21 year-old Pole's second Euro Tour win in as many starts and he can look forward to a rewarding 2022 if this type of form continues. Filler can have no complaints as he gave it his all, losing a terrific contest which was decided by the smallest of margins. It was an emotional win for Zielinski, who earlier had revealed that his Ukrainian girlfriend, Daria Siranchuk, herself a regular on the women’s Euro Tour, was travelling across her home country, desperately trying to seek refuge in Poland. Zielinski admitted that the uncertainty badly affected him and was overjoyed to discover that she had made it across the border. “In the end there was no pressure as my head was somewhere else, in Ukraine. They’re killing innocent people and I was afraid something would happen with her. I was just happy yesterday that she told me she had managed to cross the Polish border and from that point I started to play well," said an emotional Zielinski. “I got stronger and stronger and with each match I was gaining more and more confidence. So it was nice to win again on the Euro Tour after losing my first match and then winning something like ten in a row. It was a tough marathon and I had no time to rest." Both players were in tip top form entering the final. In the first semi-final, Zielinski had defeated countryman Wojciech Szewczyk 9-7 in an excellent match that had seen him run out six times. In the other, a rampant Filler had too much for Eklent Kaci, finishing up a 9-5 winner. The Polish player took the opening rack as well as the second, when Filler, who was going nicely, overran the cue ball with just the seven and nine on the table. His safety wasn’t tight enough and Zielinski took the last two balls. A push out was required from Wiktor in the third game and he left a jump shot on the two ball on. He made an excellent attempt but was not rewarded with the position. A good safety saw Filler make contact but he left the pink four ball on and from there Zielinski advanced to 3-0. Filler took the next as his push out to a jump shot paid dividends when his opponent left the two ball on and he cleared for 3-1. The Polish star restored his three-rack lead in the next, moving around the table with confidence. A fast-paced break and run from Filler was just what he needed as he pegged the deficit back to two racks. Zielinski returned the favour in the next as he too ran out from the break to take his lead to 5-2. It was high-quality stuff from both players as Filler ran the next from the break. Trailing by two, he needed Zielinski to slip up somehow. Filler got his chance in the next as Zielinski scratched on the break and with ball in hand, he ran out for 5-4 and really opened up the match. Sensing his opportunity, Joshua broke and ran the next to level the game. The pressure was back on Zielinski but he had the break in his favour in the race to nine match. With no clear pot on the two ball in the next, Zielinski played a nice snooker but Filler came with an almighty jump shot to cut the two into the centre pocket and set up the run out as he took the lead at 6-5. A missed two-eight combination from Filler in the next got Zielinski back into the fray and his superior safety play prevailed as he restored parity at 6-6. Zielinski came with another break and run and there was a feeling that winning the lag may be a telling factor in the destination of the trophy. There was no hanging around in the next as Joshua swiftly worked his way around the table to level at 7-7. Another sledgehammer break from Zielinski set up a run out and Filler found himself breaking to stave off defeat. Having to play safe, Filler initially thought he’d got it but there was a gap between the five and nine balls that allowed Zielinski to pocket the red three. From there, he made no mistakes as he went through the balls to claim a superb win. It was Zielinski’s second consecutive Euro Tour win – an amazing achievement that has only been accomplished twice before in eleven years. He can now look forward to Treviso, Italy in April and a chance to go one better. “It’s a really special achievement to win two in a row. It’s a really tough tournament with all the strongest players in Europe. Maybe there will be three in a row? I have really good memories of Treviso – I won there last November and it’s also where I met Daria!” The Lasko Open was the first of six events in the 2022 Euro Tour series and players battle for tour ranking points, as well as world ranking points for the newly-implemented system operated by Matchroom Pool.

Spain’s Amalia Matas emphatically overcame Oliwia Zalewska of Poland to secure her maiden Women’s Euro Tour title in Slovenia Amalia Matas of Spain is the 2022 Women’s Lasko Open champion as she out-paced Poland’s Oliwia Zalewska by 7-3 to claim her first ever win on the circuit. The match was never a classic but the Spanish lady remained focused throughout and got the job done in impressive style. Cheered on by a bank of Spanish players, Matas could barely contain her delight after she pocketed the winning nine ball. “It was a difficult match being the final but I started well and just tried to stay focused on every ball. You can never look too far ahead in any match and she started to come back at me a little. I knew I would get a chance though and thankfully I was able to take it,” said Matas after the game. From 38 starters these were the last two ladies standing. Matas, ranked number 15, had earlier defeated Hannan Memic (Bosnia and Herzegovina) 7-1 in a comfortable semi-final match, while Zalewska had prevailed in a hard-fought contest against Norway’s Line Kjorsvik. Matas took the opener and added to her lead with some careful potting in the second rack. There was more confident play from the Spanish girl as she closed out the third to take a very useful 3-0 lead. She got back to the table in the next following a dry break from Zalewska and did well to clear to increase her lead. With no balls on the break from Matas, Zalewska had a great opportunity to stop the rot but missed the one ball, The rack then became scrappy as both players missed a succession of balls and when Matas scratched playing a safety, it gave Zalewska the chance to get on the scoreboard and calm herself at 4-1. The Spaniard took the next as Zalewska’s nerves began to show as she struggled to settle at the table. With a 5-1 lead in the race-to-seven match, it looked as if Matas had done all the hard work. Both ladies had multiple visits in the next but Matas gained ball in hand when Zalewska failed to extract herself from a snooker. From there, Matas ran out to put herself on the hill at 6-1. Zalewska delivered her best break of the match in the next as she spread the balls out and left an easy pot on the one ball. She then ran out to reduce the arrears and give herself a massive confidence boost. Breaking for the match, Matas fell foul of the three-point rule to hand the table back to the Polish girl. Needing to win every rack now, Zalewska looked much more comfortable as she ran out to get to 6-3. Unfortunately, she scratched off the break in the next to give Matas the table and a chance to run out for the win. Looking at her maiden Euro Tour title, she grabbed the opportunity to crown a 7-3 victory. “To win my first ever Predator Euro Tour event is something fantastic for me. I practice hard and come to the tournaments but this win makes all the difference. Hopefully, it will give me more confidence so I can compete at the same level for the rest of the year,” added Matas. The Lasko leg of the Women’s Euro Tour was the first in a series of six events over 2022, with the remaining five tournaments taking place in Treviso, Italy (April), St. Johann im Pongau, Austria (June), Petrich, Bulgaria (August), venue to be announced (October), and Treviso, Italy in November.

Albin Ouschan‘s cues and playing equipment outlined after the world number one was crowned Premier League champion Albin Ouschan was crowned the inaugural Premier League Pool champion on Monday evening in Milton Keynes, England as he defeated Joshua Filler. Ouschan added to his 2021 successes at the Championship League, World Pool Championship, International Open and the Mosconi Cup, with a new cue on show at the Matchroom opener. The Predator-backed world number one was using the newly-released special edition Jainil Panthera phase two cue, with a REVO 12.4mm shaft and a Predator Victory soft-hardness tip. His break cue was the more power, less effort Predator BK Rush in metallic red, while his jump cue was the Predator Air Rush which is designed and developed to get out of tricky spots with ease, style and comfort. All Austrian Ouschan’s equipment is carried in his signature AO case, which also included a prototype Predator chalk in Milton Keynes as well as his eight-inch cue extension for the trickier shots. The world number one also commented on his glove in the What’s in the Bag? segment with Karl Boyes and revealed that he uses a red or yellow glove instead of black for better visibility of the shaft.

Lima‘s Gerson Martinez defeated former champion John Morra to land the most prestigious accolade of his young career

Reigning world champion Albin Ouschan reigned victorious at the opening Matchroom nineball tournament following a costly Joshua Filler error Albin Ouschan has won the inaugural Predator Cues Premier League Pool after beating Joshua Filler 7-5 in the final at Stadium MK, Milton Keynes. Filler got off to the quicker start of the pair as he rallied up the first four racks without reply after winning the lag, but the tide turned in the fifth rack as the German left the one ball over the pocket after jumping the seven to get Ouschan on the board. Ouschan kept plugging away though as he moved to level at 4-4. There was very little to separate the pair all week and when it came to the tenth rack, it could’ve been seen as another momentum swinger as Ouschan scratched off the break, but he ended up taking the rack to level at five apiece. From then on, Ouschan found what made him World Champion a little under 12 months ago to seal a memorable win over close friend Filler 7-5. Ouschan said: “After I saw him in the first four racks, the way he played tremendously. I thought I would be the spectator in the final. I think he tried to jump after the break, and I got in a good position. I had a crazy miss on the 4 ball, but I had another chance and finally, I had to take it. I tried to stay calm and collected and I know I can do it. That’s the toughest part. I am super happy.” “It’s a tremendous tournament again by Matchroom. It fits me better. Well-deserved from Josh, I think overall he played the best of all. The pressure got him hard in the end. He will come back stronger for sure.” Ouschan will return to Milton Keynes next month to defend his World Pool Championship crown: “If I would defend the World Pool Championship again, I would have no words for that.” Filler reached the final after overcoming Jayson Shaw in the semi-final stage. The Team Europe Mosconi Cup teammates were doing battle for a fourth time in the tournament with Filler edging the head-to-head record 2-1. It was Filler who got the better start though as he swept home the opening rack before asserting a 4-0 lead, leaving Shaw with plenty of work to be done to find any route back into the semi-final. The German proved to be too strong in the end for Shaw to set up a huge final with world number one Ouschan. Ouschan meanwhile found himself against five-time US Open champion Shane Van Boening who had moved into the semi-finals with relative ease despite being on the end of a whitewash loss to Ouschan earlier on in the day. Van Boening won the opening rack, but Ouschan soon took control to be on the hill at 6-3 but it was Van Boening who fought back to six apiece. In the penultimate rack, it seemed Ouschan had a 2-9 carom on to seal it, but he opted to play the table before being locked up behind the four ball. Van Boening duly levelled before Ouschan plugged his way through the final rack to win it 7-6. Woodward’s chances of making the top four were brought to an abrupt end as the American struggled to get going in his final stage opener against Van Boening in a 5-1 loss but seemed to find some rhythm against Shaw despite a hill-hill defeat. The Kentucky Kid held a fantastic account of himself all week despite early setbacks and the two-time Mosconi Cup MVP finished in a flash to beat group topper Filler in his last contest to secure fifth place and $7,000, only missing out on the final four by rack difference. Kazakis meanwhile snuck in late to the final six and knew it was always a tall order, especially after an opening loss to Filler but the World Pool Masters champion did hold a glimmer of hope after downing Woodward before Ouschan swiftly put him back into a fight for fourth spot. In the end, Kazakis settled for sixth and $6,750. Predator Cues Premier League Pool sees 16 players compete in a league format with an increased prize fund of $100,000 guaranteeing each player $2,500 and the winner taking home $20,000. The next event from Matchroom is the World Pool Championship at the Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes from Wednesday 6, April to Sunday 10, April where it will be Ouschan defending his title.

Watch as Joshua Filler and Albin Ouschan become embroiled in a thrilling deciding rack during the Premier League

Kazakis landed his maiden US Pro Billiard Series title at the inaugural Wisconsin Open, denying Kuwait‘s Al-Awadhi in a shootout in the final Alexander Kazakis managed to secure his maiden US Pro Billiard Series accolade after denying an incredible run by Kuwait’s Bader Al-Awadhi in a shootout. As he progressed through the brackets of the single-elimination phase of the Apex Wisconsin Open, the young Greek’s performance resembled that of a yo-yo. Just when it seemed he was gaining momentum or about to close out a set, a mistake would cost him. Conversely, when it seemed Kazakis’s championship hopes were starting to wane, an opponent would miss or commit a crucial tactical error. Through it all, Kazakis was able to preserve, surviving four consecutive matches which advanced to an extra-frame shootout to win the 64-player event Saturday night at the Ho-Chunk Resort and Casino in the Wisconsin Dells. The reigning World Pool Masters champion defeated former World 9-Ball Champion Fedor Gorst, reigning World 10-Ball champion Eklent Kaci, Filipino Lee Van Corteza and Kuwait’s Bader Al-Awadhi to earn his first championship on American soil. Kazakis’s title match against the Kuwaiti upstart was a microcosm of his day – overcoming a handful of self-inflicted wounds only to rally and survive the match in the shootout. Al-Awadhi drew first blood in the championship match, taking advantage of a missed 9 ball by his opponent and adding a break-and-run to jump out to a quick 2-0 lead. Kazakis had a chance to retaliate in the third rack when his opponent missed a 5 ball and took full advantage, winning three straight games thanks to a break-and-run and an unforced error on the 5 ball in the fifth game by Al-Awadhi. With a chance to close out the set, Kazakis failed to pocket a ball on the break in the sixth game and Al-Awadhi cleared the table then promptly scratched on the break in the deciding rack, handing his opponent ball-in-hand and possibly the set. As the Greek worked his way through the potential clinching rack, he positioned the cue ball for a sharp cut shot on the 5 ball which he missed. Alawadhi cleared the table to snatch the set, 4-3. Kazakis began to rally in the following frame, taking advantage of a missed 2 ball by his opponent on the first rack and tacking on a break-and-run to build an early 2-0 advantage. Al-Awadhi would tick off two wins of his own to tie the set thanks to a victorious safety exchange in the third rack and a missed Kazakis jump shot in the following game. The Kuwaiti appeared positioned to take the lead in the fifth game but scratched while trying to secure position on the 6 ball. Kazakis cleared the table to regain the lead then capitalized on a missed 5 ball by Al-Awadhi in the sixth game to claim the set, 4-2. The shootout frame was over quickly, with Kazakis pocketing his first two spot shots while Al-Awadhi missed three straight balls to hand the match to his opponent. The Greek’s final day of play began by cooling off the previously hot Gorst, with the young Russian struggling to make shots in his round of 16 match. Kazakis jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first set by winning a safety battle in the first rack then taking advantage of a foul by his opponent in the next game. He then used Gorst’s missed jump shot in the third rack and a missed bank shot of the 8 ball by the Russian in the next game to shut out his opponent, 4-0. The second set was practically a photo negative of the first, with Kazakis now struggling to make balls while Gorst capitalized. In fact, the Greek missed a shot in each of the four racks played, as Gorst cruised to a 4-0 victory of his own. After each competitor pocketed two balls in the first four frames of the extra-inning shootout, the cue ball was moved back a diamond on the table and the format switched to sudden death. Kazakis made his first shot while the Russian missed, ending any title hopes for the 21-yer-old from Moscow. There would be a similar tale in the quarterfinals, as Kazakis squeaked by Eklent Kaci 4-3 in the first set, lost to Kaci 4-1 in the second then defeated the Albanian 3-1 in the shootout. Kazakis then advanced to the semifinals where he met Lee Van Corteza, who used a combination shot on the 10 ball, a safety victory and a scratch on the break by his opponent to cruise to 4-1 win in the opening frame. After the two competitors split the first four games of the second set, Kazakis clawed out the fifth game after both players failed to pocket the 2 ball. The Greek would close out the set, 4-2, when Corteza misplayed a safety on the 4 ball in the following rack. Neither player blinked in the first four innings of the shootout, with both competitors pocketing four straight shots. The spot shot success continued in the fifth inning when the cue ball was moved back a diamond as the format switched to sudden death, but Corteza championship hopes ended when he missed in his sixth attempt while Kazakis landed his shot. The U.S. Pro Billiard Series returns to action next month with the Alfa Las Vegas Open March 23-26 at the Rio All-Suites Hotel and Casino. This event will coincide with the CueSports International Expo, which brings thousands of amateur pool players for the BCA Pool League World Championships as well as the USA Pool League National Championships. The Wisconsin Open was the second event of the year for the U.S. Pro Billiard Series and the first ever to be staged at Ho-Chunk Resort, a sprawling facility north of Madison which offers a 302-room hotel as well as spacious gaming and convention space.