View source for World Pool Masters

{{Short description|Annual nine-ball tournament}}
The '''World Pool Masters''' is an annual international [[nine-ball]] tournament. Formerly, it was called the '''European Pool Masters''' (until 1995) until players from other parts of the globe were invited.

==History==
Throughout much of its history, the tournament has been featuring sixteen world-class [[pocket billiards|pool]] players, competing in [[Single-elimination tournament|single-elimination]] format. In 2010, the number of players was doubled to 32. The first round of the event was played in double elimination with the second round in single-elimination.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.azbilliards.com/2000storya.php?id=7315 |title=Masters Invites Announced |date=January 28, 2010 |access-date=2010-01-31 |author=Matchroom Sport |publisher=AzBilliards.com}}</ref>

In 2011, the tournament reverted to the original 16-player single-elimination format, with each match a race-to-8, winner breaks. The 2011 edition was held in [[SM North EDSA]] Mall in [[Quezon City]], [[Metro Manila]], [[Philippines]]. [[Ralf Souquet]] of [[Germany]] won the said tournament for the record-setting sixth time, beating defending champion [[Dennis Orcollo]] of the [[Philippines]], 8–5.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.matchroompool.com/page/WorldPoolMasters/NewsDetail/0,,12660~2441772,00.html |title=Souquet wins Masters for the sixth time |date=September 5, 2011 |access-date=2011-09-08 |author=Matchroom Sport |publisher=MatchroomPool.com}}</ref>

For the [[2019 World Pool Masters]], the field was changed to accompany 24 players, with seeded players being given a bye through the first round.<ref name="matc_Expa">{{Cite web |title=Expanded World Pool Masters Returns To Gibraltar, March 29–31 – Matchroom Pool |work=Matchroom Pool |access-date=31 December 2018 |url= http://www.matchroompool.com/news/expanded-world-pool-masters-returns-gibraltar-march-29-31/ }}</ref> The [[2022 World Pool Masters]] went back to its original format, inviting 16 players, with 8 seeded players meeting the other 8 in the first round of the single-elimination tournament.

==Winners==
{| class="wikitable sortable" 
|- bgcolor="#efefef"
!Date
!Location 
!Winner
!Runner-up
!Final score
|-
|1993
|[[Plymouth]], [[England]]
|{{flagicon|AUT}} [[Werner Duregger]]
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Ralf Souquet]]
|2–1 (sets)
|-
|1994
|[[Doncaster]], England
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Ralf Souquet]]
|{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Jimmy White]]
|2–1 (sets)
|-
|1995
|[[Blackpool, England|Blackpool]], England
|{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Daryl Peach]]
|{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Lee Kendall (pool player)|Lee Kendall]]
|2–0 (sets)
|-
|1996
|Blackpool, England
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Ralf Souquet]] {{small|(2)}}
|{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Vincent Facquet]]
|2–1 (sets)
|-
|1997
|[[Thurrock]], England
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Earl Strickland]]
|{{flagicon|IRL}} [[Tommy Donlon]]
|2–1 (sets)
|-
|1998
|Thurrock, England
|{{flagicon|PHL}} [[Francisco Bustamante]]
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Ralf Souquet]]
|11–9
|-
|1999
|Thurrock, England
|{{flagicon|NLD}} [[Alex Lely]]
|{{flagicon|PHL}} [[Efren Reyes]]
|7–5
|-
|2000
|Thurrock, England
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Ralf Souquet]] {{small|(3)}}
|{{flagicon|NLD}} [[Alex Lely]]
|7–3
|-
|2001
|Thurrock, England
|{{flagicon|PHL}} [[Francisco Bustamante]] {{small|(2)}}
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Earl Strickland]]
|7–6
|-
|2002
|[[Milton Keynes]], England
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Ralf Souquet]] {{small|(4)}}
|{{flagicon|PHL}} [[Efren Reyes]]
|9–4
|-
|2003
|[[Egmond (municipality)|Egmond]], [[Netherlands]]
|{{flagicon|MLT}} [[Tony Drago]]
|{{flagicon|TPE}} [[Hsia Hui-kai]]
|8–6
|-
|2004
|Egmond, Netherlands
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Thomas Engert]]
|{{flagicon|DEU}} [[Oliver Ortmann]]
|8–6
|-
|2005
|Doncaster, England
|{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Raj Hundal]]
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Rodney Morris]]
|8–7
|-
|2006
|Egmond, Netherlands
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Ralf Souquet]] {{small|(5)}}
|{{flagicon|PHL}} [[Alex Pagulayan]]
|8–4
|-
|2007
|Egmond, Netherlands
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Thomas Engert]] {{small|(2)}}
|{{flagicon|ESP}} [[David Alcaide]]
|8–5
|-
|2008
|[[Las Vegas]], [[United States]]
|{{flagicon|PHL}} [[Alex Pagulayan]]
|{{flagicon|FIN}} [[Mika Immonen]]
|8–6
|-
|2009
|Las Vegas, United States
|{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Darren Appleton]]
|{{flagicon|NLD}} [[Nick van den Berg]]
|8–4
|-
|[[2010 World Pool Masters|2010]] 
|Las Vegas, United States
|{{flagicon|PHI}} [[Dennis Orcollo]]
|{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Toru Kuribayashi]]
|8–3
|-
|[[2011 World Pool Masters|2011]] 
|[[Quezon City]], [[Philippines]]
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Ralf Souquet]] {{small|(6)}}
|{{flagicon|PHL}} [[Dennis Orcollo]]
|8–5
|-
|[[2012 World Pool Masters|2012]] 
|[[Kielce]], [[Poland]]
|{{flagicon|POL}} [[Karol Skowerski]]
|{{flagicon|POL}} [[Mateusz Śniegocki]]
|8–6
|-
|[[2013 World Pool Masters|2013]]
|[[Barnsley]], England
|{{flagicon|NLD}} [[Niels Feijen]]
|{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Darren Appleton]]
|8–6
|-
|[[2014 World Pool Masters|2014]]
|[[Nottingham]], England
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Shane Van Boening]]
|{{flagicon|GRE}} [[Nikos Ekonomopoulos]]
|8–2
|-
|[[2015 World Pool Masters|2015]]
|[[Manchester]], England
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Shane Van Boening]] {{small|(2)}}
|{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Darren Appleton]]
|8–2
|-
|[[2017 World Pool Masters|2017]]
|[[Victoria Stadium (Gibraltar)|Victoria Stadium]], [[Gibraltar]]
|{{flagicon|ESP}} [[David Alcaide]]
|{{flagicon|SCO}} [[Jayson Shaw]]
|8–7
|-
|[[2018 World Pool Masters|2018]]
|Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar
|{{flagicon|NED}} [[Niels Feijen]] {{small|(2)}}
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Shane Van Boening]]
|8–4
|-
|[[2019 World Pool Masters|2019]]
|Victoria Stadium, Gibraltar
|{{flagicon|ESP}} [[David Alcaide]] {{small|(2)}}
|{{flagicon|GRE}} [[Alexander Kazakis]]
|9–8
|-
|2020
| colspan="4" align="center" |Not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic
|-
|[[2021 World Pool Masters|2021]]
|[[Europa Sports Park]], Gibraltar
|{{flagicon|GRE}} [[Alexander Kazakis]]
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Shane Van Boening]]
|9–0
|-
|[[2022 World Pool Masters|2022]]
|[[Europa Sports Park]], Gibraltar
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Joshua Filler]]
|{{flagicon|HKG}} [[Lo Ho Sum]]
|9–6
|-
|2023
|[[Brentwood, Essex|Brentwood]], England
|{{flagicon|TPE}} [[Ko Pin-yi]]
|{{flagicon|ALB}} [[Eklent Kaçi]]
|13–5
|-
|2024
|[[Hildesheim]], Germany
|{{flagicon|USA}} [[Fedor Gorst]]
|{{flagicon|GER}} [[Joshua Filler]]
|13–12
|}

=== Records ===
* [[Ralf Souquet]] holds the record for winning the World Pool Masters the most times: six. (1994, 1996, 2000, 2002, 2006, 2011).
* [[Shane Van Boening]] holds the record for the most consecutive wins: two. (2014, 2015).
* The oldest pool player to ever win the tournament to date is Ralf Souquet of [[Germany]], at 42 years old at the time of his victory. The youngest is [[Daryl Peach]] of [[United Kingdom]], aged 23 years old at the time of his victory.

==Top Performers==

{| class="wikitable sortable" style="font-size:100%; text-align: center;"
|-
! Name
! Nationality
! Winner
! Runner-up
! Finals
! {{nobreak|Semi-final}}<br />or better
|-
|align="left" | [[Ralf Souquet]]
|align="left"|{{GER}}
|6
|rowspan="2" |2
|8
|8
|-
|align="left" | '''[[Shane Van Boening]]'''
|align="left"|{{USA}}
|rowspan="5" |2
|4
|5
|-
|align="left" | '''[[David Alcaide]]'''
|align="left"|{{SPN}}
|1
|3
|rowspan="2" |3
|-
|align="left" | [[Francisco Bustamante]]
|align="left"|{{PHL}}
|rowspan="3" |0
|rowspan="3" |2
|-
|align="left" | '''[[Niels Feijen]]'''
|align="left"|{{NED}}
|rowspan="1" |4
|-
|align="left" | [[Thomas Engert]]
|align="left"|{{GER}}
|rowspan="1" |3
|-
|align="left" | [[Darren Appleton]]
|align="left"|{{ENG}}
|rowspan="8" |1
|2
|3
|4
|-
|align="left" | [[Alex Pagulayan]]
|align="left"|{{CAN}}
|rowspan="7" |1
|rowspan="5" |2
|5
|-
|align="left" | [[Earl Strickland]]
|align="left"|{{USA}}
|4
|-
|align="left" | [[Alex Lely]]
|align="left"|{{NED}}
|rowspan="2" |3
|-
|align="left" | [[Dennis Orcollo]]
|align="left"|{{PHI}}
|-
|align="left" | '''[[Alexander Kazakis]]'''
|align="left"|{{GRE}}
|rowspan="1" |2
|-
|align="left" | '''[[Ko Pin-yi]]'''
|align="left"|{{TPE}}
|rowspan="1" |1
|rowspan="1" |3
|-
|align="left" | '''[[Fedor Gorst]]'''
|align="left"|{{USA}}
|rowspan="1" |1
|rowspan="1" |1
|}

* Active participants are shown in '''bold'''.
* In the event of identical records, players are sorted in alphabetical order by first name.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [http://www.matchroompool.com/page/WorldPoolMasters/Home Official site]
* [http://www.matchroompool.com/page/WorldPoolMasters/TournamentHistory/0,,12660,00.html Tournament History of the World Pool Masters]
* [http://www.matchroompool.com/page/WorldPoolMasters/Gallery/0,,12660,00.html Pictures from the 2011 World Pool Masters]
* [http://www.matchroompool.com/page/WorldPoolMasters/Gallery/0,,12660~2060381,00.html Pictures from the 2010 World Pool Masters]
* [http://www.insidepoolmag.com/billiard-news/independent-tournaments/world-pool-masters/index.html/ World Pool Masters News]

{{World Pool Masters}}
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[[Category:World Pool Masters| ]]
[[Category:Pool competitions]]
[[Category:Recurring sporting events established in 1993]]