Qatar World Cup 10-Ball: Big seeds fall as Last-64 field takes shape
Albin Ouschan is already out, Joshua Filler and Carlo Biado are in sudden death, and the Last-64 lineup fills up Monday in Doha.
DOHA — The $450,000 Qatar World Cup 10-Ball lost its first giant on Monday at the Ezdan Palace Hotel, with No. 8 seed Albin Ouschan eliminated after a 9-5 losers' round defeat to Raymund Faraon, while two more marquee names were pushed one loss from going home.
No. 2 seed Joshua Filler, stunned 9-5 by Mustafa Alnar in his opener, and Carlo Biado — No. 2 on the WNT money list, edged 9-8 by Hsieh Chia Chen in winners' qualification — must now survive the losers' bracket to reach the Last 64. Jayson Shaw was the day's other notable casualty on the winners' side, beaten 9-7 by Saudi Arabia's Mohammed Baabad.
Defending champion Jonas Magpantay, No. 3 seed Francisco Sanchez Ruiz and No. 4 seed Fedor Gorst all won their winners' qualification matches to book Last-64 spots, and Vietnam's Duong Quoc Hoang joined them with a 9-6 victory over Marlon Cañeda. The remaining 32 berths are being decided in the losers' qualification round — still in progress at publication.
Why it matters: The field converts to single-elimination, race-to-11 from Tuesday with $100,000 on top — and with Ouschan gone plus Filler and Biado in sudden death, the $450,000 draw is already wide open.
