Nineball Pool: Defending champions Spain to take on Philippines in 2023 World Cup of Pool opener
- Planet Sport writer
- 26 June 2023
The 16th edition of the World Cup of Pool begins on Tuesday.
Spain, led by World Nineball Tour number one Francisco Sanchez Ruiz and two-time World Pool Masters David Alcaide, will take on the Philippines in the opening round of the 2023 World Cup of Pool.
James Aranas and Johann Chua are certainly no easy opposition considering the pair are looking to add a fourth star to their three World Cup of Pool wins.
As hosts, Spain also have a second side consisting of Jose Alberto Delgado and Jonas Souto Comino with Saudi Arabia awaiting them in Round 1.
Three-time champions China enter as an unseeded side with Syria's Mohammad Soufi and Zaid Al Shariti standing in Wu Jia Qing and Wang Can's way.
24 hours to go until the World Cup of Pool 🌟
— Matchroom Pool (@MatchroomPool) June 26, 2023
Here’s how the draw is looking! Some incredible first round matches incoming, who are you looking forward to seeing?#WorldCupOfPool pic.twitter.com/a3RIygV4WT
Two-time winners Austria have a reunited duo of Albin Ouschan and Mario He with Australia's Justin Sajich and James Georgiadis tasked with stopping the formidable duo.
SEA Games gold medalists Myanmar (Burma) make their World Cup of Pool debut against Canada's John Morra and Alex Pagulayan.
Great Britain (Jayson Shaw and Elliott Sanderson) take on Qatar's Bashar Hussain Abdul Majeed and Ali Al Obaidli whilst the USA's Shane Van Boening and Skyler Woodward face off with South Korea's Seo Seoa and Kang Lee first up.
The 2023 World Cup of Pool will be played alongside the 31st Galician Team Pool Billiards Championship, which will bring together more than 1,000 players in the Pazo de Ferias y Congresos de Lugo, where more than 40 tables will be in action.
The participants in this tournament considered the biggest in Europe, will compete for the regional titles and the prizes arranged by the Galician Association of Pool Billiards.
Prior to the World Cup of Pool, players competing entered into the inaugural Spanish Open Pool Championship winner with the 256-field signature Matchroom multi-table event delivering an epic tournament.
Full Draw in Seed Order below
Spain (1) vs Philippines
USA (2) vs South Korea
Germany (3) vs New Zealand
Austria (4) vs Australia
Great Britain (5) vs Qatar
Poland (6) vs Serbia
Greece (7) vs Singapore
Chinese Taipei (8) vs Finland
Netherlands (9) vs Hong Kong, China
Syria (10) vs China
Albania (11) vs Peru
Kuwait (12) vs Vietnam
Hungary (13) vs Bosnia and Herzegovina
Canada (14) vs Myanmar (Burma)
Japan (15) vs Italy
Spain B (16) vs Saudi Arabia
