Mickey Krause has secured the title of 2024 European Open Pool Champion by defeating Johann Chua 12-8 at the Hotel Esperanto in Fulda.
Final result:
Mickey Krause 12-8 John Chua
The match started as a tactical battle, with Chua winning the first rack and Krause responding in kind. In the third rack, Chua initially led but failed on a 2-7 combination, allowing Krause to seize the opportunity and take the lead.
In the fourth game, Krause made a sharp jump shot on the 3 but got stuck on the 5. Chua had a chance to tie the score but missed a crucial 6, allowing Krause to maintain his lead. The Danish Viking then extended his lead by winning three consecutive games, including a skillful long tape shot on the 6 in the fifth game, pushing the score to 4-1.
Krause’s momentum was briefly interrupted when he made a mistake while attempting to sink the 6, giving Chua a chance to win a game. However, Chua’s luck turned in the next game when he sank the 8, allowing Krause to continue his winning streak.
In the tenth rack, Chua tried to close the gap after a dry break from Krause, but failed when he missed a crucial 5-ball and gifted another rack to Krause, who increased the score to 8-2.
The eleventh game was the climax of Chua’s troubles. After Krause made a mistake on the 4, Chua tried to capitalize and even hit the 6. But his hopes were dashed when he missed the 9, increasing Krause’s lead to 9-2.
Chua was able to secure a third rack after a dry break from Krause, but quickly lost control with another missed shot in the 13th rack, allowing Krause to equalize at 10:3.
Despite the odds, Chua took advantage of another dry break from Krause in the 14th game to secure the next one. In the 15th game, Chua hooked the 7 and seemed to put Krause in a position to close the game. However, Krause’s own mistake pocketed the 7 and handed the game to Chua, who made it 10-5.
The bad luck continued for Chua when he was left dry in the 16th rack, allowing Krause to reach the mound. Chua made a valiant effort with a three-rack run after another scratch from Krause, narrowing the score to 12-8. But in the end, a missed 8-ball from Chua sealed his fate and Krause took advantage to secure the European title.
Mickey Krause not only celebrated his first ever Matchroom Major title that night, but also secured his place in the inaugural Reyes Cup, which takes place later this year.
NEXT WORLD NINEBALL TOUR EVENT
The Raxx MVP Open will take place from August 15-18 at the Raxx Pool Room in West Hempstead, NY, USA.
with prize money of $48,400.
NEXT MATCHROOM EVENT
The next Matchroom Multi-Table Open event is the US Open Pool Championship in Atlantic City, NJ, USA. The tournament will take place from August 19-24 at Harrah’s Resort.
Click here for more information.
