Francisco Sanchez Ruiz (FSR) claimed his first significant title of 2024 by winning the Peri 9 Ball Open, defeating Greece’s Dimitris Loukatos in a thrilling final with a score of 13-11. This victory is a major achievement for the Spaniard, aside from his namesake tournament, the FSR Nineball Open 2024.
Ruiz started strong, quickly building a 6-2 lead. However, Loukatos gradually closed the gap, bringing the score to 6-5, and eventually tying the match at 10-10. Loukatos then took the lead at 11-10, just two racks away from clinching the title.
In a pivotal moment, Ruiz executed a masterful safety shot, sending the cue ball behind the 9-ball while leaving the 3-ball on the opposite end of the table. This forced Loukatos into a difficult position, resulting in a foul. Ruiz capitalized on the mistake, running out the next rack to reach the hill at 12-11.
In the final rack, Ruiz seemed poised to finish the match, but missed a pot on the 3-ball. Fortunately for him, Loukatos didn’t have a clear shot at the 3-ball, which was hanging near the corner pocket, while the cue ball was stuck close to the opposite rail.
Loukatos pulled out his jump cue for a daring attempt at the 3-ball, but it rattled in the pocket and stayed up, leaving an open table for Ruiz. Seizing the opportunity, Ruiz cleared the remaining balls to secure the Peri 9 Ball Open title.
This win comes at a crucial time for Sanchez Ruiz, snapping a minor slump as he heads into the Hanoi Open and the highly anticipated Reyes Cup where he was chosen as a wildcard for Team Europe. For Loukatos, despite the loss, this marks one of the best performances of his career since winning the 2022 Predator Germany Open.
Credits to Vietnam Billiard Promotion for the images.