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2018 WPA World 9-Ball Championships
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Al-Arabi Sports Club
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Friday 14 - Thursday 20 December 2018

Carlo Biado - Philippines
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It’s Biado vs. Van Boening, Filler vs. Kazakis As The 2018 World 9-ball Championship Heads To Final Day

By Ted Lerner
WPA Media Officer

Sir Henry Royce, the maker of the famed motorcars, Rolls Royce, once said, “Take the best that exists and make it better. Accept nothing nearly right or good enough.”

Royce’s creed of excellence could very well be applied to the four greats who grabbed their semi-finals spots Wednesday at the Al Arabi Sports Club in Doha on the penultimate day of 2018 World 9-ball Championship. On a day of championship 9-ball pool of surreal quality, Carlo Biado, Shane Van Boening, Joshua Filler and Alexander Kazakis all wouldn’t take no for an answer, all reached for greatness, all excelled beyond the rest.

The four superstars now head into the final day on Thursday with an equal chance of entering pool’s pantheon of greats. Biado, who won here last year, is already there, and will hope to become the first player since Earl Strickland 27 years ago to win back to back titles. But first the Filipino will have to match wits with the USA’s Shane Van Boening, who seems destined to finally snap off the big one.

In the other semi-final, young German hot shot Filler will look to fulfill a dream many thought he would one day reach, but perhaps not at just 21 years old. But to get there the fast and loose playing Filler will have to battle through Greek workhorse Kazakis, who simply never knows how to quit. Both race to 11, alternate break semis will be played simultaneously beginning at 11am Doha time(GMT +3). The race to 13 final will break off at 3pm local time.

Despite his soft spoken and humble nature, Biado has to be the favorite of the final four, if only slightly, due to several factors; he knows what it takes to reach the mountain top, he plays under the radar, and he is playing the best pool of his career. In the round of 16 match that began the day, the 37 year old Biado came up against 2005 World 9-ball Champion Wu Jiaqing. The pair dueled for 90 minutes, breaking and running numerous racks. But when Wu scratched while down 9-8, the champ did what champs do; he closed the door and won a hard fought battle, 11-9.

The Filipino then came up against Taiwan’s rising player, Wu Kun Lin, who had disposed of Finland’s Petri Makkonen earlier. These two had history and it was to Biado’s favor for Wu was the very player the Filipino handily beat in last year’s semi-final on his way to the title. The result Wednesday was nearly identical. Firing on all cylinders Biado streaked out to a commanding 6-0 lead and never looked back, winning easily 11-4.

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