Vietnam’s top cueist, Duong Quoc Hoang, achieved a remarkable victory at the Scottish Open in Glasgow, overcoming the world’s number one pool player, Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, with a stunning 10-7 win. Despite trailing early in the match, Hoang’s resilience and tactical brilliance led him to an unexpected comeback on the morning of May 5th, Hanoi time.
Starting the match under pressure, Hoang found himself at a disadvantage with Ruiz taking a commanding 6-1 lead. However, the tables turned as the Vietnamese star rallied to win six consecutive frames, a performance highlighted by his strategic play and precise shot-making. By the end of the match, Hoang had cleared the tables in four out of six games, showcasing his top form when it mattered most.
In the critical final frame, Hoang’s tactical intelligence shone through. He executed a difficult shot that placed the cue ball in a challenging position for Ruiz, who subsequently failed his shot. Seizing the opportunity, the 37-year-old Vietnamese cleared the table, advancing to the knockout stages of the tournament by knocking out the top-seeded Ruiz.
The Scottish Open, held from May 1st to 5th, featured 104 competitors, including 15 of the world’s top 16 cueists. Participants competed in a format where matches in the winners’ bracket went to 10 points, while the losers’ bracket matches were played to 8 points.
Following an initial defeat to Ko Ping-han with a score of 7-10, Hoang was relegated to the losers’ bracket. From there, he demonstrated his competitive spirit by winning five consecutive matches against formidable opponents such as Jake-Dylan Newlove, Benji Buckley, Elliott Sanderson, Mustafar Alnar, and Carlo Biado before facing Ruiz.
Next, Hoang is set to face American cueist Tyler Styer, a renowned international titleholder, at 17:00 Hanoi time on May 5th. A victory in the round of 16 would potentially set up a quarterfinal clash against either Eklent Kaci or the world’s number two, Shane van Boening.
Ranked 44th globally with international winnings totaling $24,467 over the past year, Hoang remains the sole Vietnamese player to reach the round of 16 at this prestigious event. Meanwhile, his opponent Ruiz, a former world champion in both 8-ball and 9-ball, leads the World Nine-ball Tour with earnings of $194,067.
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