Shane Van Boening secured his second Matchroom Major semi-final in a month to move one step closer to another title on home soil, while Aleksa Pecelj, Jefrey Roda and Denis Grabe completed a dramatic final four at the 2026 Arizona Open Pool Championship in Yuma.
The inaugural Arizona Open Pool Championship takes place at Quechan Casino Resort from 13–16 August, bringing four days of world-class nine-ball action as a 128-player field competes in a straight knockout format as part of the World Nineball Tour’s US Swing this August.
Van Boening booked his place in his second Matchroom Major semi-final of the month after surviving two demanding encounters on Day Three. The American first overcame reigning World Champion Carlo Biado 10-6 before edging past Philippines Open champion David Alcaide in a gruelling contest to keep his pursuit of back-to-back Major titles alive.
Van Boening said: “It feels good to be back in another semi-final. I’ve been saying all week that I’ve been putting the work in for the past two months, and I’ve never felt more confident.
“I knew what I had to do against Carlo. I know his game and his style, so I prepared for that and managed to get the win. Against David, though, I didn’t play my best. I made some mistakes and I was feeling tired. He could have easily won that match, but the balls went my way at the end and I was fortunate.
“Now I need to rest, reset and go again tomorrow. I want to win another title.”
Aleksa Pecelj produced one of the greatest comebacks on the World Nineball Tour to book his place in the semi-finals. The Serbian first defeated Robbie Capito 10-5 before facing Indonesia’s 18-year-old Albert Januarta, who raced into a commanding 9-1 lead.
Pecelj refusing to surrender, mounted an extraordinary comeback to win 10-9 and reach his second Matchroom Major semi-final, three years after his previous appearance in the final four at the 2023 US Open.
Pecelj said: “I’m very happy. Albert played unbelievably well, but I felt like the luck went my way at the end. I stayed focused because I didn’t want to get nervous, and I’m really proud of how I played to come back from 9-1.
“Tomorrow is a new day. I’ll stay focused, play my game and hopefully I can get the title.”
Denis Grabe also reached the biggest stage of his career, securing his first Matchroom Major semi-final after defeating former European Open champion Mickey Krause before overcoming Jesus Atencio.
Grabe said: “I’m buzzing, to be honest. That last rack against Jesus was probably the best I’ve ever played under that kind of pressure.
“My draw has been tough all week. I’ve played Kazakis, Yapp, Krause and now Jesus. They’re all great players, so to come through that and make the final four means a lot.
“This is a tough Tour. There are so many young talents and experienced players, and it’s incredibly difficult to win these tournaments. Tomorrow is all about staying focused and playing my best. I want to win, but I know I have to earn it.”
Flying the flag for the Philippines on the final day will be Jefrey Roda, who reached his second Matchroom Major semi-final after producing two impressive victories. Roda first defeated recently crowned UK Open champion Joshua Filler 10-4 before overcoming fellow countryman and close friend Jeffrey De Luna 10-7.
Roda said: “I felt so much pressure today, so I’m really relieved to make it through. Jeffrey is my countryman and he’s like a brother to me, so it’s never easy playing someone like him with a place in the semi-final on the line.
“I’m really happy to be here and to represent the Philippines on the final day. I’ve felt very lucky this week, especially today, so hopefully that luck continues tomorrow.
“Winning a Major on the World Nineball Tour is my dream, and now I’m two matches away.”
The inaugural Arizona Open Pool Championship now reaches its conclusion tomorrow with two blockbuster semi-finals. Van Boening faces Pecelj, while Roda takes on Grabe, with all four players just two victories away from becoming the first-ever Arizona Open champion.
Photo: Jefrey Roda of the Philippines at Arizona Open.
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