US Open Pool: Ko Ping Chung Kicks Off Title Defence

The 2024 US Open Championship has begun, with reigning champion Ko Ping Chung starting his title defence with a strong performance. He joined the likes of Fedor Gorst, Joshua Filler, and Francisco Sanchez Ruiz in the winners' qualification round of the prestigious tournament.

Now in its 47th year, the US Open returns to Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City for the fourth consecutive year. The event is a partnership between Caesars Entertainment, the Atlantic City Sports Commission, and renowned broadcasters Sky Sports and DAZN.

Ko Ping Chung showed no signs of rust in his opening match, comfortably defeating American Payne McBride 9-3.

Earl Strickland, aiming for his sixth US Open title, began his campaign with a solid 9-4 win over Mike Delawder, showcasing a spectacular 4-9 carom in the first rack and delivering the first golden break on the TV table in the ninth rack. However, despite leading 5-3 against UK Open semi-finalist Pijus Labutis, the "Pearl" was unable to secure a second victory, ultimately falling short 9-8.

World Champion Fedor Gorst, continuing his successful year, delivered a dominant 9-2 performance against Nadim Okbani. Okbani handed the victory to Gorst after three consecutive fouls in the final rack. Matching Gorst's score, both Joshua Filler and Jayson Shaw displayed impressive starts in their bids for a second US Open title. They defeated Erik Hjorleifson and Aiden Finch, respectively.

Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, former World No. 1 and 2022 US Open champion, excelled in his first match, triumphing over Casper Matikainen 9-3. Following in his Spanish compatriot's footsteps, David "El Matador" Alcaide also advanced, securing a 9-2 victory against Nicholas Tan.

Aloysius Yapp, a semi-finalist at the 2023 US Open and a qualifier for the Reyes Cup Team Asia, began his tournament run with an impressive 9-2 win over Pierfrancesco Garzia from Italy. Johann Chua joined his fellow Team Asia teammate in the next round after stopping Vietnamese cueist Dang Thanh Kien 9-1.

Matchroom commentator and 2003 US Open Champion Jeremy Jones secured his spot in the next stage of the tournament after winning both of his opening matches. Jones delivered a solid performance in his first match against German player Holger Vier, winning 9-5. He then faced former Mosconi Cup player Tyler Styer in a closely contested match, claiming victory with a nail-biting 9-8 finish.

Session Times

All times are local time (EDT):

Days 1-4 (19-22 August) – 256 to Last 16: From 10am – 9pm

Days 5-6 (23-24 August) – Last 16 to Winner:

Saturday, 23 August – 10am to 2:30pm / 4:30pm to 9pm

Sunday, 24 August – 10am to 2:30pm / 4:30pm to 7:30pm

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Live rack-by-rack scoring will be available throughout the event at www.wntlivescores.com.