Aloysius Yapp kept both his Florida Open Pool Championship title defence and World No.1 ranking alive after responding emphatically to his opening-day upset, while Justin Bergman bounced back from setback in the Losers’ Bracket as the Last 128 field was confirmed in Orlando.
The second edition of the Florida Open Pool Championship returns to the stunning Caribe Royale Resort from 4-9 August, bringing six days of world-class nine-ball action as the World Nineball Tour’s August USA Swing gets underway. With crucial ranking points, Mosconi Cup qualification and major silverware all on the line, the sport’s biggest stars continue their battle in the Sunshine State.
After suffering a shock defeat on the opening day, newly crowned World No.1 Aloysius Yapp responded in impressive fashion to keep his title defence alive. The Singaporean defeated Kristian Dimitrov 9-3 before producing a flawless 9-0 whitewash over America’s Paul Song to secure his place in the Last 128.
Yapp said: “Honestly, I’m relieved to make it through. After yesterday, the most important thing was staying in the tournament, and I’m happy I managed to do that for another day.
“I still don’t think I’m playing my best, though. If I want to defend this title, I need to cut out the mistakes, stay focused and keep improving with every match. Tomorrow is a new day and I want to be ready for it.”
Despite enjoying a dream return to Open event competition on Day One, Justin Bergman faced his own setback as he battled to reach the single-elimination stage. The former Mosconi Cup champion suffered a heartbreaking hill-hill defeat to Florida’s Jesse Link, who capitalised on a missed 7-ball in the deciding rack.
Bergman responded in style, however, producing a commanding 9-0 whitewash over Robert Reese to book his place in the Last 128 at his first Open event since 2019.
Bergman said: “It was tough to lose the first match today because it was there for me. Credit to Jesse, he took his chance, but I made too many mistakes at important moments.
“This is my first Open event in a long time, but I still believe in my game. I know what I’m capable of, and if I keep playing the right way, I know I can make a deep run this week.”
Several other big names were also forced to navigate the Losers’ Bracket, including former European Open champion Mickey Krause, World No.14 Naoyuki Oi and two-time Mosconi Cup winner Billy Thorpe, with all three surviving to reach the Last 128.
Reflecting on his crucial victory over Greece’s Antonios Kakaris, Thorpe said: “Yesterday was disappointing and it was a bit of a wake-up call. I realised I needed to spend more time on the practice table if I wanted to stay in this tournament.
“I came in early today, worked on my break and tightened up a few things, and I think that made the difference. Now it’s all about staying focused and making sure I don’t let another opportunity slip away.”
Former World Champion Johnny Archer’s Florida Open campaign came to a bitter end on Day Two after dropping into the Losers’ Bracket on the opening day. The American kept his hopes alive with an impressive 8-1 victory over Miguel Ortiz but was unable to build on that momentum, falling to Finland’s Jani Siekkinen in his next match to bow out of the tournament.
With the double-elimination stage now complete, there are no more second chances in Orlando. The remaining 128 players return tomorrow as the Florida Open Pool Championship enters the straight knockout stage, where every match brings the field one step closer to lifting the iconic Palm Tree Trophy.
Defending champion Aloysius Yapp will look to continue his bid to retain his title in the Sunshine State, while Shane Van Boening, Carlo Biado and Joshua Filler remain firmly in the hunt to add the Florida Open crown to their cabinet of trophies.
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