Vietnam cueist defeats 2-time world champion to reach European Open's round of 8

Hoang, 38, remains the only undefeated Vietnamese player in the tournament after winning all six of his matches.

In the double-elimination stage, he secured victories over Montenegro's Amar Idrizovic by 9-2, Italian Pierfrancesco Garzia 9-6, and German Thorsten Hohmann 9-4 to reach the knockout rounds.

Hohmann, a two-time world champion in 9-ball pool, won his titles in 2003 and 2013. However, he was of little challenge for Hoang, who had already defeated him 9-7 at the U.K. Open Pool Championship in June 2023.

In this year’s European Open, Hoang first beat Hohmann in the double-elimination stage, then eliminated him 10-6 in the knockout rounds on Friday.

Duong Quoc Hoang celebrates his victory in the European Open knockout round in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina, on March 14, 2025. Photo by Matchroom

In the round of 16, held early on Saturday, Hoang secured a hard-fought 10-8 victory over Elliott Sanderson of England. His next opponent is 21-year-old German player Moritz Neuhausen, whom he will face in the round of 8 at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Hoang is now Vietnam's last representative in the championship.

Another top Vietnamese player, Luong Duc Thien, was eliminated in the round of 16 after a 6-10 loss to Pijus Labutis. Thien had previously defeated Admir Kurtovic 9-1 and Can Salim 9-3 but fell to Neuhausen 7-9. He rebounded with a 9-7 win over Marko Lisnic to qualify for the knockout rounds, where he won against Kledio Kaci 10-9 in the round of 32 before his elimination.

Two other Vietnamese players, Nguyen Anh Tuan and Pham Phuong Nam, were eliminated in the round of 32. Tuan lost 6-10 to former world No. 1 Albin Ouschan, while Nam fell 8-10 to Emil Gangflot.

Bui Truong An and Le Hai Long were eliminated in the double-elimination stage. However, An drew attention with a four-rail trick shot to close his opening match.

The European Open Pool Championship, part of the World Nineball Tour, runs from March 11 to 16 at the Hills Sarajevo hotel in Bosnia & Herzegovina. The event features 256 players competing in a double-elimination format, with 64 advancing to the knockout stage. The total prize pool stands at $200,000.

By reaching the round of 8, Hoang has secured at least $4,000 in prize money.