Biado, Chua headline strong Filipino start at 2025 US Open Pool 9-Ball Championship

Prized cue masters Carlo Biado and Johann Chua are spearheading the Filipino charge as they look to restore the Philippines’ dominance in the 2025 US Open Pool 9-Ball Championship at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City, which kicked off Tuesday (Aug. 19, Manila time).

The week-long tournament, boasting a $500,000 prize pot, gathered 256 of the world’s finest cue artists. The eventual champion will pocket $100,000 (around ₱5.7 million). Only two Filipinos have ruled this prestigious event — Biado in 2021 and the legendary Efren “Bata” Reyes in 1994 — while Fil-Canadian Alex Pagulayan also captured the crown in 2005.

Aside from Biado and Chua, 13 other Filipinos are carrying the flag: Marvin Asis, Michael Baoanan, Lee Vann Corteza, Roland Garcia, Patric Gonzales, Bernie Regalario, Jefrey Roda, Harry Vergara, Roberto Gomez, Charles Vergara, Glen Facun, Baseth Mocaibat, and Mark Muir.

Both Biado and Chua opened their campaigns on a strong note. The 2021 champion Biado crushed Canadian Jason Munro, 9-1, in his first match before facing Germany’s Boris Ivanovski later in the second round. Chua, meanwhile, downed Floro Ritarita, 9-5, and followed it up with a gritty 9-7 win over Dutch challenger Quinten Pongers, putting him a win away from the last 64.

Will the World Champion land the US Open title once again?

Carlo Biado is into Winners’ Qualification https://t.co/GNXL4VDsYd | #WNT | #USOpenPool pic.twitter.com/oyGoNPzuVF

— Matchroom Pool (@MatchroomPool) August 18, 2025

Four other Pinoys also made noise early. Michael Baoanan, Jefrey Roda, Lee Vann Corteza, and Baseth Mocaibat each racked up back-to-back victories to move within striking distance of the knockout rounds. 

Baoanan outclassed American Rajmond Pali, 9-4, and Italian Francesco Candela, 9-3. Roda dominated Vietnamese Nguyen Hoang Tuan, 9-3, and American Paul Song, 9-1. Corteza delivered a pair of clinical performances against Bulgarian Kristian Dimitrov (9-4) and Finnish player Riku Romppanen (9-5), while Mocaibat pulled off an impressive win over Singapore’s Toh Lian Han, 9-3, before stunning German great Ralf Souquet, 9-5.

Also staying alive in the winners’ bracket were Regalario, Asis, and Gomez, who all picked up opening-match victories but were still awaiting their second-round assignments. Regalario was slated to face American Donny Mills, Asis was matched up with Dutchman Jan Van Lierop, while Gomez prepared to battle Turkey’s Mustafa Alnar.

With multiple Filipino contenders already showing early firepower, hopes remain high that the country could once again celebrate a US Open Pool champion by week’s end.

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