Lithuanian player is the "new king" of the Hanoi Open Pool Championship 2025

Billiard player Pijus Labutis has broken the curse of reaching the "semi-finals" four times. Photo: Organizing Committee

The Hanoi Open Pool Championship 2025 takes place from October 8 to 12 at the My Dinh Indoor Sports Center (Hanoi), bringing together 256 of the world's top players. Athletes compete for a total prize money of up to 200,000 USD, of which the champion receives 40,000 USD.

The final match of the tournament, which took place on the evening of October 12 between Moritz Neuhausen and Pujis Labitis, was warmly cheered by nearly 2,000 fans who came to watch live. The two players performed a balanced and close game in the early stages of the match. However, when the score was 4-4, Labutis began to take the lead. With a calm and precise play in every situation, the Lithuanian player gradually increased the gap to 10-4.

Pujis Labitis celebrates his victory. Photo: Organizing Committee

The lack of chances to hold the cue did not seem to slow Neuhausen down. He still took advantage of the opportunities when given and managed to hold on to hope by reducing the score to 7-10. However, at the highest level, a mistake can also be costly. A failed 2-ball run at rack 18 saw Neuhausen hand the trophy to Labutis. The Lithuanian stepped up to the table and made it 11-7. Two perfect rack breaks and clears then gave Labutis the final victory 13-7.

Thus, player Pijus Labutis has erased the "semi-final" curse when he entered the top 4 players of a Major tournament 4 times but had to stop 3 times. Pijus Labutis won his first Major championship when he lifted the Hanoi Open Pool Championship 2025 trophy and received a prize of 40,000 USD.

Pujis Labitis lifts the Championship Cup. Photo: Organizing Committee

Also on the last day, the Organizing Committee announced that the captain of the Asian team, Philippine billiards legend Bustamante, decided to choose Duong Quoc Hoang for a special ticket to participate in the Reyes Cup 2025 (the annual Asian 9-ball pool billiards tournament).

The Hanoi Junior Open, a tournament running alongside the Hanoi Open Pool Championship, also found a new champion. Jack Beggs (New Zealand) and Nguyen Tien Trung (Vietnam) delivered an exciting final match. Despite being behind his opponent at the start, Tien Trung was not under any psychological pressure and remained confident in handling situations to gradually narrow the gap. However, when he had the chance to equalize the score 8-8, the 16-year-old player from Tu Son, Bac Ninh missed it and accepted a 7-9 loss to Jack Beggs. Despite the loss, young player Dang Thanh Kien made history by helping Vietnam have its first representative enter the final of the Hanoi Junior Open after 2 seasons, and showed his potential to succeed his teacher Dang Thanh Kien or Duong Quoc Hoang, Luong Duc Thien, Nguyen Anh Tuan...

The final match of the Hanoi Open Pool Championship 2025 attracted a large number of fans. Photo: Organizing Committee

Organized by Matchroom Multi Sport (UK) - the world's leading unit in organizing professional billiards tournaments, in coordination with the Hanoi Department of Culture and Sports, organized by Vietcontent Company, Hanoi Open Pool Championship has become a symbol of international sports integration, contributing to raising the image of Hanoi on the world billiards map.

The previous two seasons (2023 and 2024) left a deep impression with the presence of stars such as Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, Albin Ouschan, Jayson Shaw, Joshua Filler, Johann Chua, and thousands of enthusiastic Vietnamese spectators filling the stands every match day. That success is the foundation for the 2025 season to explode, both in terms of professional quality and fan experience.

Not only a sporting event, Hanoi Open Pool Championship 2025 is also an opportunity to promote the image of Hanoi - a dynamic, hospitable city with rich cultural identity, to international friends. Through the tournament, hundreds of athletes, officials and international reporters have the opportunity to explore the beauty of the capital, contributing to spreading the message of an integrated, youthful and vibrant Vietnam.

Source: https://hanoimoi.vn/co-thu-nguoi-lithuania-la-tan-vuong-giai-hanoi-open-pool-championship-2025-719412.html