Pool News Roundup: Chua Wins at Home, Filler Takes $100K in Qatar, Mosconi Cup Countdown
The last three weeks of pro pool packed in a home-soil breakthrough in Manila, a loss-side run worth $100,000 in Doha, two new heyball champions and a team world title for England. Meanwhile the countdown to the 2026 Mosconi Cup in Orlando is down to about two weeks. Here is what happened, what it means, and what to watch next.
Johann Chua finally wins the Philippines Open at home
The biggest story of late October came from Gateway Mall in Quezon City, Manila, where Johann Chua won the 2026 Philippines Open Pool Championship (October 20-24). According to AZBilliards, Chua beat countryman Anton Raga 11-9 in an all-Filipino final.
A few things made this one special:
- A home-crowd first. AZBilliards reports Chua is the first Filipino to win the event on home soil, so the trophy stays in the Philippines with a Filipino champion for the first time.
- Four Filipinos in the semis. Chua beat Bernie Regalario 10-2 in his semifinal, and Raga beat Baseth Mocaibat 10-6 in the other.
- A second major. It was Chua's second Matchroom major title, and remarkably it came in his first major appearance of the year.
For American fans, the Philippines Open also mattered for another reason: it was the last event before the qualification cut-off for the Mosconi Cup, according to the World Nineball Tour. More on that below.
Joshua Filler takes the Qatar World Cup 10-Ball the hard way
A few days later in Doha, Germany's Joshua Filler won the Qatar World Cup 10-Ball 2026, beating the Philippines' Albert James "AJ" Manas 13-6 in the final. The WPA called it a dominant final, and the payday was big: AZBilliards reports first place was worth $100,000.
What makes Filler's win worth studying is how he got there. According to AZBilliards, he lost his opening match 9-5 to Turkey's Mustafa Alnar in the double-elimination stage of the main event. Instead of folding, he won out on the loss side, beating Oman's Mohammed Albalushi 9-1 and the Netherlands' Jan Van Lierop 9-2 to reach the single-elimination rounds.
From there he ran through a tough draw:
| Round | Opponent | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Knockout round 1 | Ameer Ali (Iraq) | 8-1 |
| Knockout round 2 | Oliver Szolnoki (Hungary) | 11-8 |
| Knockout round 3 | Tobias Bongers (Germany) | 11-8 |
| Quarterfinal | Miguel Savilla (Philippines) | 11-7 |
| Semifinal | Wojciech Szewczyk (Poland) | 9-7 |
| Final | AJ Manas (Philippines) | 13-6 |
Manas earned his spot in the final with a hill-hill semifinal win over Poland's Daniel Maciol. The field was big, too: four 128-player qualifiers sent 16 players into a 128-player main event, per AZBilliards.
The lesson for weekend players: a first-round loss in a double-elimination event is not the end. Filler's run is the pro version of what happens at local events every Saturday, where somebody drops their first match and wins the whole thing from the one-loss side. If the format is new to you, read our guide to how double-elimination brackets work, and our tips on handling tournament nerves after an early loss.
Heyball crowns new champions on both sides of the Americas
The WPA has been pushing heyball, the Chinese 8-Ball game played on a snooker-style table with tight pockets, into the Americas this fall. Two events wrapped up in the past few weeks:
- WPA North American Heyball Open (Toronto, Canada): Portugal's João Grilo and Belgium's Wendy Jans were crowned champions on October 30, according to the WPA.
- Pan American Heyball Open (Arequipa, Peru): Wales' Jordan Shepherd and Belgium's Diana Khodjaeva took the titles, the WPA announced on November 11.
Jans winning in Toronto is no surprise to anyone who follows women's pool; she is one of the most decorated players in the game. Heyball is still rare in American pool rooms, but if you play 8-Ball, the basic idea will feel familiar. Brush up on the standard version with our 8-Ball rules guide.
England and France win Blackball world titles in London
The 2026 WPA Blackball World Championships finished in London in early November. Blackball is the British-style 8-Ball game played on small tables with red and yellow balls. According to the WPA:
- Men's A: England beat Morocco 13-12 in a final that came down to the last frame.
- Women's A: France beat South Africa 13-3.
If you mostly play on a 7-foot bar box, blackball is closer to your game than you might think: small tables, tight position play, and lots of safety battles. Our bar table pool tips cover a lot of the same skills.
Mosconi Cup countdown: two weeks to Orlando
The 2026 Mosconi Cup runs November 27-30 at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida, starting the day after Thanksgiving. Team Europe, captained by Niels Feijen, is chasing a seventh straight title. Team USA, captained again by Johan Ruijsink, is trying to win on home soil for the first time since 2019.
As of this writing, the World Nineball Tour's event page lists Shane Van Boening for Team USA and Francisco Sánchez Ruiz for Team Europe. Fans have been discussing other names online, but we will wait for the official announcements before listing full lineups. The format is the same as always: five players a side, 9-Ball races to 5, and the first team to 11 points wins. Every match streams live on WNT TV.
Get up to speed with our full Mosconi Cup 2026 preview, our Shane Van Boening profile, and a recap of Sánchez Ruiz's second US Open title. If you are making the trip to Orlando, check the pool tournaments in Florida and play a weekend event while you are there.
What to watch next
- Mosconi Cup lineups. Expect the final wildcard picks to be confirmed before Thanksgiving.
- Filler's form. He was part of Europe's 2025 winning team, and a $100,000 win right before the Cup is a good sign for Europe.
- The Filipino wave. Chua, Raga and Manas all went deep in big events this fall. Asia's depth keeps growing.
For the full year ahead, bookmark our major pool events calendar and our guide to how to watch pro pool.
Your turn to play
The pros make it look easy, but every one of them started at a weekly bar tournament. Find a pool tournament near you this weekend, or browse all upcoming tournaments by state. Running your own event? Our free tournament tools and printable brackets make it easy.