Jayson Shaw kept British hopes alive on home soil with a pair of impressive victories to reach the Last 16 of the 2026 UK Open Pool Championship, while defending champion Aloysius Yapp continued his relentless charge towards back-to-back titles.<\/p>\n
The fifth edition of the UK Open Pool Championship continues at the Brentwood Centre from 26\u201331 May, delivering six days of world-class nine-ball action and drama on the World Nineball Tour as the sport\u2019s biggest stars battle it out for one of the calendar\u2019s most prestigious Open titles.<\/p>\n
FULL BRACKET<\/a><\/strong> Britain\u2019s leading pool star Jayson Shaw produced another strong day\u2019s work to secure his place in the Last 16. The former Mosconi Cup captain first overcame fellow Brit Daryl Hill with ease before defeating reigning Premier League Pool champion Duong Quoc Hoang in a high-quality showdown.<\/p>\n The victories move Shaw within touching distance of a maiden UK Open title, making him now one of the last British players standing in the tournament.<\/p>\n Shaw commented: \u201cDuong is a world-class player and he\u2019s shown that many times over the last few years, so I knew it was going to be a tough match. There were a couple of mistakes from me, but I also played some really good pool when it mattered.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m happy to be in the Last 16, but I\u2019ve been here before. The job isn\u2019t done yet. There are still a lot of top players left in the field and I\u2019m only focused on my next match. It\u2019s been a while since I\u2019ve lifted a major title and to do it here, in front of a home crowd, would mean a lot. To become the first Brit to win the UK Open would be something very special.\u201d<\/p>\n Awaiting Shaw tomorrow is fellow Brit Dean Shields, who produced arguably the upset of the day.<\/p>\n The Englishman fought back from 6-1 down against former World Champion Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, capitalising on a shift in momentum before completing a dramatic hill-hill victory to book his place in the Last 16.<\/p>\n Shields said: \u201cI didn\u2019t actually think I was playing badly when I went behind. Francisco was just playing really well and I wasn\u2019t getting many chances. Then a couple of opportunities came my way and I managed to take advantage of them.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen it got close, I believed I could win. This is the deepest run I\u2019ve ever had in an event like this and I don\u2019t want it to stop here. Playing Jayson next is going to be brilliant. I\u2019ve watched him for years and I\u2019m looking forward to testing myself against one of the best.\u201d<\/p>\n Defending champion Aloysius Yapp continued to look every bit the man to beat as he powered into the Last 16 with commanding victories over Greece\u2019s Nick Chatoupis and Estonia\u2019s Denis Grabe.<\/p>\n The Singaporean barely put a foot wrong throughout the day and remains firmly on course to become the first player to successfully defend the UK Open title.<\/p>\n Yapp said: \u201cToday felt good both physically and mentally and I think that showed in my performance. I\u2019m happy with how I played, but I still think there\u2019s another level in my game.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s great to be back in the Last 16. Last year I kept saying I was lucky, and if I win it again I\u2019ll probably say the same thing. Maybe a little less lucky this time.\u201d<\/p>\n Former UK Open champion Eklent Ka\u00e7i also advanced in commanding fashion. The Albanian dispatched Ukraine\u2019s Kostiantyn Ivanov 10-2 before defeating close friend Sanjin Pehlivanovic to secure his return to the Last 16.<\/p>\n Ka\u00e7i said: \u201cI felt really comfortable on the table today. Against Sanjin I broke well, controlled the table, and took my opportunities when they came.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWhen I\u2019m playing like that, I trust my game against anyone. There are still a lot of tough matches ahead, but I believe I have what it takes to win this title again.\u201d<\/p>\n Ka\u00e7i joins fellow former UK Open champion Joshua Filler in the Last 16, with both players chasing a second UK Open crown. Robbie Capito\u2019s impressive run came to an end after the Hong Kong star, fresh from his stunning comeback victory over World No.1 Fedor Gorst, fell to Finland\u2019s Casper Matikainen in the Last 64.<\/p>\n With just 16 players remaining, the race for the 2026 UK Open title is entering its decisive stages. Defending champion Aloysius Yapp continues his pursuit of history, while home favourite Jayson Shaw, former champions Joshua Filler and Eklent Ka\u00e7i, and a host of hungry challengers stand between him and back-to-back UK Open glory.<\/p>\n
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