Semi-Finals
Alex Kazakis 7-6 Eklent Kaci
Joshua Filler 6-7 Shane van Boening
Alex Kazakis banished painful memories of losing the last Dafabet World Pool Masters final as he whitewashed Shane van Boening 9-0 to lift the 2021 title at Europa Sports Park in Gibraltar, the biggest margin of defeat in a Masters final and the first final whitewash.
Kazakis lost position on the 9-ball against David Alcaide in the 2019 final and at hill-hill was rooted to his seat as the Spaniard banked a dramatic 9 for the title. This time, though, there was no such drama in the final ā that had come in a 7-6 semi-final win over Eklent Kaci ā as the Greek controlled the table and did to Van Boening what the American himself had done to so many others when he won back-to-back Masters titles in 2014 and ā15.
āI canāt really believe it,ā said an emotional Kazakis. āIt is amazing. Everything went my way from the start to the end of the final. The big moment was in the semi-finals; I didnāt play well, I was nervous, and I was lucky that Kaci didnāt really play that well. It was the luckiest match I ever won. To go into the final with that momentum, I had nothing to lose.
āWhen I finished my semi-final I went to the hotel, called my coach, and I told him, āIām dogging it againā. I believe so much in myself but something inside me, I had these bad lucks and bad rolls in the Mosconi Cup last match in 2018, I have the 9 ball with Alcaide here, then also the semi-final of the World 9-Ball Championship with Joshua [Filler] where I had a chance to go to a final and I screwed up. All these things happened in about five months.
āSometimes when I was under pressure I was thinking I was maybe going to do it again, and it has been hard. Finally the door opened. When you are always knocking the door, the most difficult part is to win the first tournament. I think now it will be much easier for me if I have the chance to win a major tournament.
āI feel lucky, I feel blessed, it is the biggest title of my career. A lot of people here told me they were routing for me, I think because I didnāt win it in 2019.ā
Kazakis had struggled in his semi-final against Kaci, finally getting over the line in a gripping hill-hill thriller that made up for in drama what it lacked at times in quality. The Greek, however, had used his break well and looked much more calm and assured at the table in the early exchanges of the final and took the first two racks.
Van Boening had also come through a hill-hill semi-final, beating Mosconi Cup foe Joshua Filler. He had an opportunity in the third rack of the final after Kazakis missed the three, but the cut was tough and the American couldnāt make it. Kazakis completed the rest of the rack with the help of a nice 7/8 combo and the beaten 2019 finalist was 3-0 up.
Two years ago Kazakis got to 5-0 up before eventually succumbing 9-8 to David Alcaide, and he reached the same advantage again with a break and run. After pushing out and being put back in by Van Boening, Kazakis played a good safety which earned him the chance to move 6-0 up, and now his advantage was bigger than in the last Masters final.
The American finally got another chance in the seventh but missed the 6 ball to the top left and Kazakis cleared for a 7-0 lead, and that was soon 8.
Van Boening had one last opportunity in the last, but having jumped the 1 he missed the 2, and the night belonged to Kazakis. He let out a jubilant, relieved, celebration, high-fived with a crowd who were clearly pleased to see his redemption tale, and then jumped on the Rasson table to show his delight at winning the $25,000 title.
The next Matchroom Pool Series event is the World Pool Championship, which runs from June 6-10 at Marshall Arena, Milton Keynes. Spectators are permitted for the final day. Tickets are priced at Ā£25 and are available at www.matchroompool.com
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2021 EDITION
WORLD POOL MASTERS
THE SCHEDULE
Saturday 5.30pm
22 May 2021
Preliminary - Kelly Fisher (GBR) - Justin Sajich (AUS)
Preliminary - Eklent Kaci (ALB) - Petri Makkonen (FIN)
Preliminary - Chris Melling (GBR) - Sanjin Pehlivanovic (BIH)
Preliminary - Billy Thorpe (USA) - Skyler Woodward (USA)
Sunday 11.00am
23 May 2021
Preliminary - Niels Feijen (NED) - Jeffrey De Luna (PHI)
Preliminary - Mieszko Fortunski (POL) - Kristina Tkach (RUS)
Preliminary - Denis Grabe (EST) - Roberto Gomez (PHI)
Last 16 - Joshua Filler (GER) - Chris Melling (GBR)
Sunday 6.00pm
23 May 2021
Preliminary - Shane van Boening (USA) - Jakub Koniar (SVK)
Last 16 - Naoyuki Oi (JPN) - Eklent Kaci (ALB)
Last 16 - David Alcaide (ESP) - Skyler Woodward (USA)
Monday 12.00pm
24 May 2021
Last 16 - Maximilian Lechner (AUT) - Mieszko Fortunski (POL)
Last 16 - Albin Ouschan (AUT) - Denis Grabe (EST)
Last 16 - Jayson Shaw (SCO) - Niels Feijen (NED)
Monday 5.30pm
24 May 2021
Last 16 - Alexander Kazakis (GRC) - Justin Sajich (NZL)
Last 16 - Fedor Gorst (RUS) - Shane Van Boening (USA)
Quarter Final - Eklent Kaci (ALB) - Niels Feijen (NED)
Tuesday 12.00pm
25 May 2021
Quarter Final - Joshua Filler (GER) - Denis Grabe (EST)
Quarter Final - Shane Van Boening (USA) - Maximilian Lechner (AUT)
Quarter Final - Skyler Woodward (USA) - Alexander Kazakis (GRC)
Tuesday 5.30pm
25 May 2021
Semi Final 1 - Alexander Kazakis (GRC) - Eklent Kaci (ALB)
Semi Final 2 - Shane Van Boening (USA) - Joshua Filler (GER)
The Final - Alexander Kazakis (GRC) - Shane Van Boening (USA)
2021 EDITION
WORLD POOL MASTERS
THE PRELIMINARIES
Billy Thorpe
1 : 7
Skyler Woodward
Kelly Fisher
3 : 7
Justin Sajich
Eklent Kaci
7 : 3
Petri Makkonen
Niels Feijen
7 : 3
Jeffrey De Luna
Shane Van Boening
7 : 4
Jakub Koniar
Mieszko Fortunski
7 : 2
Kristina Tkach
Chris Melling
7 : 4
Sanjin Pehlivanovic
Denis Grabe
7 : 6
Roberto Gomez
2021 EDITION
WORLD POOL MASTERS
THE LAST 16
David Alcaide
3 : 7
Skyler Woodward
Alex Kazakis
7 : 3
Justin Sajich
Naoyuki Oi
5 : 7
Eklent Kaci
Jayson Shaw
6 : 7
Niels Feijen
Fedor Gorst
1 : 7
Shane Van Boening
Maximilian Lechner
7 : 5
Mieszko Fortunski
Joshua Filler
7 : 5
Chris Melling
Albin Ouschan
3 : 7
Denis Grabe
2021 EDITION
WORLD POOL MASTERS
THE QUARTER-FINALS
Skyler Woodward
3 : 7
Alexander Kazakis
Eklent Kaci
7 : 0
Niels Feijen
Shane Van Boening
7 : 4
Maximilian Lechner
Joshua Filler
7 : 5
Denis Grabe
2021 EDITION
WORLD POOL MASTERS
THE SEMI-FINALS
Alexander Kazakis
7 : 6
Eklent Kaci
Shane Van Boening
7 : 6
Joshua Filler
2021 EDITION
WORLD POOL MASTERS
THE FINAL
Alexander Kazakis
9 : 0
Shane Van Boening
2021 EDITION
WORLD POOL MASTERS
THE PRIZE FUND
1st
US $ 25,000-00
2nd
US $13,000-00
3rd
US $ 7,500-00
4th
US $ 7,500-00
5th
US $ 3,750-00
6th
US $ 3,750-00
7th
US $ 3,750-00
8th
US $ 3,750-00
9th
US $ 2,250-00
10th
US $ 2,250-00
11th
US $ 2,250-00
12th
US $ 2,250-00
13th
US $ 2,250-00
14th
US $ 2,250-00
15th
US $ 2,250-00
16th
US $ 2,250-00
17th
US $ 1,750-00
18th
US $ 1,750-00
19th
US $ 1,750-00
20th
US $ 1,750-00
21th
US $ 1,750-00
22th
US $ 1,750-00
23th
US $ 1,750-00
24th
US $ 1,750-00
Total Prize Fund: US $ 100,000-00
2021 EDITION
WORLD POOL MASTERS
THE WINNER'S LIST
1993
Werner Duregger
AUT
1994
Ralf Souquet
GER
1995
Daryl Peach
ENG
1996
Ralf Souquet
GER
1997
Earl Strickland
USA
1998
Francisco Bustamante
PHI
1999
Alex Lely
NED
2000
Ralf Souquet
GER
2001
Francisco Bustamante
PHI
2002
Ralf Souquet
GER
2003
Tony Drago
MLT
2004
Thomas Engert
GER
2005
Raj Hundal
ENG
2006
Ralf Souquet
GER
2007
Thomas Engert
GER
2008
Alex Pagulayan
PHI
2009
Darren Appleton
ENG
2010
Dennis Orcollo
PHI
2011
Ralf Souquet
GER
2012
Karol Skowerski
POL
2013
Niels Feijen
NED
2014
Shane Van Boening
USA
2015
Shane Van Boening
USA
2017
David Alcaide
ESP
2018
Niels Feijen
NED
2019
David Alcaide
ESP
2021
Alexander Kazakis
GRC
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