Vietnamese billiards player defeats former world champion.

46-year-old American billiards player Nguyen Phuc Long defeated former world 10-ball pool champion Ko Ping Chung 2-1 at the Las Vegas Open to advance to the round of 16.

In the first half, Ko took the lead three times, but Phuc Long leveled the score at 3-3 each time. In the deciding game (hill-hill), the Taiwanese player failed to make a successful shot, allowing the Vietnamese representative to win 4-3 after the first half.

The situation reversed in the second set, when Phuc Long led 3-2, but failed to capitalize on his break to finish the match. The 29-year-old player leveled the score at 3-3, taking the set to a hill-hill break. There, Phuc Long concealed his poor shot on the 8-ball, allowing Ko to pocket both the 8-ball and the 10-ball, winning the second set.

Billiards player Nguyen Phuc Long. Photo: FBNV — Billiards player Nguyen Phuc Long. Photo: *FBNV*

Tied after two halves, the players had to decide the winner through a shootout. They took turns sinking the 10-ball, with one mistake costing them dearly. Both players scored in the first five turns. In the sixth turn, Ko pocketed the ball, while Phuc Long made no mistakes to win 6-5 in the shootout.

Phuc Long was born in 1978 in Hanoi and started playing pool at the age of 13. He was part of the first generation of national pool players, along with Nguyen Thanh Nam, Luong Chi Dung, and Do The Kien. Phuc Long is the only Vietnamese player to have won a gold medal in men's 9-ball pool at the SEA Games, held in Vientiane, Laos in 2009.

The Las Vegas Open 10-ball pool tournament took place from February 21st to 24th in the US, featuring 96 players, mostly among the world's top players in this category. The prize pool was $100,000, with the champion receiving $30,000. The tournament followed a double-elimination format, with knockout rounds starting from the round of 16.

Phuc Long started the tournament, defeating home player Alberto Chirinos 2-0, then beat top player Max Lechner 2-1. Phuc Long's victories against Lechner and Ko were considered a surprise, especially against the Taiwanese player. Ko Ping Chung, the 2019 world 10-ball pool champion, is the younger brother of another former champion, Ko Pin Yi.

By reaching the round of 16, Phuc Long is guaranteed to receive at least $875. He has the opportunity to increase his prize money to $1,641 if he advances to the round of 8. Also in the round of 16 are top players such as Ko Pin Yi, Fedor Gorst, Carlo Biado, Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, and Shane van Boening.

Vietnam is participating in the tournament with four players: Phuc Long, Nguyen Anh Tuan, Pham Truong Son, and Dang Hoang Huy. Hoang Huy will compete for a spot in the round of 16 against Albin Ouschan, while Anh Tuan and Truong Son have been eliminated.

Xuan Binh

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