🇩🇪 Moritz Neuhausen produced one of the most remarkable comeback victories seen in a Matchroom final, overturning a five-rack deficit to defeat 🇦🇹 Mario He 13–7 and capture the 2026 Roobet European Open Pool Championship title.
The final, held at Hotel Hills in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina, initially looked firmly in the hands of Mario He. After winning the lag, the Austrian quickly took control of the match, displaying confident shot-making and strong table management to surge ahead 7–2. At that stage, He appeared poised to run away with the championship.
The momentum shifted dramatically from that point.
Neuhausen found his rhythm and began closing the gap rack by rack. Maintaining composure under pressure, the German star produced an extraordinary run of eleven consecutive racks to turn the match around and secure a commanding 13–7 victory.
The triumph earned Neuhausen the $40,000 top prize and his first Major Open title on the World Nineball Tour.
Reflecting on the biggest victory of his career, Neuhausen said:
“This win feels different because it definitely wasn’t a gift. It was a really hard-fought battle and I feel very fortunate to come out on top. I’ve been chasing an Open title for a long time, but even with all the tough matches this week I always believed I had what it takes to win one. And now it’s finally happened.”
Despite the loss, Neuhausen acknowledged the level of play from his opponent throughout the week.
“First of all, congratulations to Mario. He played an amazing tournament. His recent results don’t really show how strong his game is. Today he played great and being 7–2 down was because of how well he controlled the table.He didn’t play badly and didn’t make any big mistakes, but somehow everything turned around for me. I stayed patient, kept believing, and today the pool gods were definitely on my side.”
Neuhausen’s path to the title was far from easy. Earlier in the day he delivered an 11–5 semifinal victory over 🇦🇱 Eklent Kaçi, after navigating a challenging knockout stage that included wins over 🇭🇰 Robbie Capito and 🇻🇳 Duong Quoc Hoang, the reigning Premier League Pool champion.
Looking back at his week in Sarajevo, Neuhausen admitted his tournament did not begin smoothly.
“I honestly didn’t feel great at the start of the tournament. My game felt a little bit all over the place in the early rounds. But I kept digging deep, taking it match by match and trying to stay focused. That mindset helped me get through the tough moments, and in the end it’s the reason I made it to the final and the reason I’m standing here with the trophy.”
Final Result
🇩🇪 Moritz Neuhausen def. 🇦🇹 Mario He 13–7
What’s Next on the World Nineball Tour
The next WNT ranking event is the Cuetec Belgium Open, scheduled for March 19–23 in Ostend, Belgium, where players will compete for a $32,000 prize fund.
The next Matchroom Major will be the UK Open Pool Championship, taking place May 26–31 in Brentwood, United Kingdom, featuring 256 players battling for a $225,000 prize fund.