Vietnamese cueist Nguyen Anh Tuan created a surprise by defeating the world number two, Albin Ouschan, 5-4 in the round-robin of the 2024 Premier League 9-Ball.
Anh Tuan is the only Vietnamese player invited to this year’s Premier League, along with 15 of the world’s top cueists. After the first eight matches, the 35-year-old won two and lost six. His victories were against Dang Jin Hu (China) and Ko Pin Yi (Taiwan), with Ko being the 2015 world champion in both 9-Ball and 10-Ball.
In his most recent match on the morning of March 21, Hanoi time, Anh Tuan continued his success by defeating top cueist Ouschan 5-4, despite being down 3-4. The Austrian, a world champion in 9-Ball in 2016 and 2021, is currently ranked second in the world by the WPA. However, Vietnam’s second-ranked player won the last two frames, creating a surprise at the tournament.
After three days of competition with up to nine rounds, Shane van Boening leads the tournament with seven wins and one loss, followed by Wiktor Zielinski and Joshua Filler. With three points from three wins, Anh Tuan is currently in 11th place.
The Premier League pool is an annual event, with the 2024 edition being the third time it has been held, taking place in West Haven, Connecticut, USA from March 18 to March 25. The 16 invited players are all among the world’s top, with a total prize fund of $100,000. The champion will receive $20,000, while each participant is guaranteed a minimum of $2,500.
From March 18 to March 22, the cueists compete in a round-robin format, playing three matches each day. After 15 matches, the six players at the bottom of the standings will be eliminated. The remaining 10 players will continue in a round-robin on March 23 and 24 to select six for the next round. These players will then compete in another round-robin on March 13 to determine the four semifinalists, who will proceed to the knockout stage.
Anh Tuan, aged 35, is currently ranked 53rd in the world, 14 places below Vietnam’s number one player, Duong Quoc Hoang. Ouschan, aged 34, has been ranked number one in the world and won the Premier League in 2022.
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