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Tied 4-4 in the final round of stage two, Hoang had a chance to win with only two balls left.
He aimed for the 8-ball in the corner pocket, but the cue ball ricocheted off the short rail and fell into the 10-ball pocket, giving his Filipino opponent, Johann Chua, ball-in-hand. With just the 9-ball near the corner pocket, Hoang extended his hand in concession. Chua, opting to finish the match properly, took the shot and secured a 5-4 victory.
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Duong Quoc Hoang competes on March 26, 2025, at the Premier League Pool in Hills Sarajevo Hotel, Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina. Photo by Matchroom |
The two had previously met in stage one, where Hoang won 5-3 to advance.
This time, his loss had no impact on his standing, as he was already eliminated. Chua's win, however, secured his top ranking and a place in stage three.
Earlier on Tuesday, Hoang defeated 18-year-old talent Kledio Kaçi with a stunning jump shot with the cue ball, which was selected by the organizers as the most beautiful shot of the day.
Duong Quoc Hoang scratches on the cue ball at the Premier League Pool in Hills Sarajevo Hotel, Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina, March 25, 2025.
On the final day of stage two, Hoang secured victories over Sanjin Pehlivanovic (5-2) and Shane Van Boening (5-3) but suffered defeats against Jayson Shaw (1-5) and Chua (4-5).
He finished ninth overall, earning US$4,750 in prize money, the best result ever for Vietnam in the event. Previously, top Vietnamese cueists Luong Duc Thien and Nguyen Anh Tuan had finished 11th, while Bui Truong An placed last.
Premier League Pool, an invitational event under the World Nineball Tour, does not count toward world rankings. First held in 2022, it began inviting Vietnamese players in 2023. The tournament features 16 top players competing in a fast-paced format, with at least three matches per day and a race-to-five system.
This year, the tournament is being held in Bosnia & Herzegovina with a $100,000 prize pool, including $20,000 for the champion.
Six players have advanced to stage three: Chua, Robbie Capito, Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, Shaw, Moritz Neuhausen, and Aloysius Yapp.
Hoang, along with Boening, Kaçi, and Pehlivanovic, were eliminated in stage two.
