SINGAPORE - A week-long struggle with table conditions that resembled an “ice-skating rink” could not stop Singapore’s top pool player Aloysius Yapp from clinching the Michigan Open crown and US$20,000 (S$28,600) prize on Saturday.
The defending champion kept his cool to beat Hong Kong’s Robbie Capito 4-2, 4-1 to retain an international title for the first time in his career.
Victory was made even sweeter as the world No. 11 player also secured a spot in the 2023 World 10-Ball Championship and is set to rejoin the sport’s top 10.
The 26-year-old said: “I’m happy but also speechless because I was struggling the whole week with the tables playing a lot faster than what I’m used to.
“But maybe there’s something about Michigan – the weather is nice and the set-up here is beautiful. This win gives me confidence going forward, knowing that I can find a way to hold it together and win when things don’t go well.”
In the 2021 final, Yapp had beaten Roberto Gomez of the Philippines 4-0, 4-2 to record the most significant breakthrough win of his career before going on to become world No. 1.
In the 2021 final, Yapp defeated Roberto Gomez of the Philippines 4-0, 4-2 to record the most significant breakthrough win of his career before going on to become world No. 1.
And he was again dominant in the 2022 edition against world No. 38 Capito, playing patient pool and clever safety shots when he had to, while maintaining superb cue-ball control for most parts of the tie.
Yapp captured the first set after winning the battle for the 6-ball in the sixth rack, and played efficient pool to go 3-0 up in the second set as Capito struggled for good positions in his first final.
The 21-year-old, who is of Filipino descent, pulled one back with a series of tough shots but when he left the 2-ball open in the next rack, Yapp cleared the table with minimum fuss and celebrated by pumping his fist.
Earlier in the 10-ball tournament, the southpaw had beaten unranked Taiwanese Kuo Hsuan-wei and world No. 80 Hsieh Chia-chen, as well as Kuwait’s Bader Al Awadhi (29th) and Canada’s John Morra (ninth).
Then, on the final day of competition at the Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek, Michigan, he showed nerves of steel in three knockout rounds against Scotsman Jayson Shaw (14th), Taiwanese Chang Jung-lin (56th) and Russian Fedor Gorst (37th) to emerge as the last man standing in a field of 76 players.
Yapp credited his mental game to sports psychology sessions with the Singapore Sports Institute that taught him to “focus more on the positives”.
He laughed when he shared that he called his coach Toh Lian Han at the start of the day to “complain about the conditions and was told to focus on my game.”
The Republic was also represented at Battle Creek by world No. 58 Sharik Sayed, who claimed a big scalp by beating SEA Games 10-ball champion Carlo Biado of the Philippines in his run to the last 16, where he was eliminated by Shaw, and pocketed US$2,500.
Sharik and Yapp celebrated their achievements with a well-deserved teppanyaki dinner with the latter’s girlfriend, Indonesian pool player Silviana Lu and her teammate, as well as Yapp’s childhood idol Tony Robles.
But they will not indulge in more celebrations as a slew of events in the United States awaits, including the Oct 6-8 Sandcastle 9-Ball Open, US Open (Oct 10-15 ), Ohio Open (Oct 19-22) and US International 9-Ball Open from Oct 28 to Nov 5.
Cuesports Singapore president Justin Lee said: “It’s a great start to a long trip for Aloysius and Sharik.
“Aloysius has managed magnificently the pressure as defending champion, and winning the event again proved that Singaporeans have what it takes to be international pool champions. We hope this success provides them with momentum going into the upcoming blue-riband events.”
