Kyle Amoroto capped a memorable Philippine run in Taipei by defeating fellow Filipino young gun Alexis Ferrer, 9–4, to capture the 2026 Formosa Cup International Pool Open title.
The championship match completed an impressive campaign for both players, who navigated a field filled with some of Asia’s strongest cue artists before meeting each other for the title.
Amoroto takes home the US$15,000 champion’s prize, while Ferrer earns US$8,000 as runner-up.
For Amoroto, the victory adds another international championship to a rapidly growing résumé. For Ferrer, it was another deep international run highlighted by one of the biggest victories of his young career.
Ferrer Goes Unbeaten Into the Knockout Stage
Ferrer began his Formosa Cup campaign with a dominant 9–2 victory over Taiwan’s Wu Kun Lin in the opening round.
He followed that with a hard-fought 9–7 win over Indonesia’s Derin Asaku Sitorus, sending him directly into the final 32 with an unbeaten record.
That was when the road became considerably tougher.
In the Last 32, Ferrer faced fellow Filipino qualifier Paolo Gallito and survived one of his closest matches of the tournament, escaping with a 9–8 victory.
Another difficult assignment awaited him in the Last 16 against Taiwan’s Cheng Shun Yang. Ferrer again showed his composure under pressure, closing out another tight contest, 9–7, to reach the quarterfinals.
Ferrer Takes Down Ko Pin Yi
Ferrer’s quarterfinal against Taiwanese star Ko Pin Yi became one of the defining performances of his tournament.
Against one of the most accomplished and disciplined players in Asian pool, Ferrer took advantage of the opportunities that came his way and rarely allowed Ko back into the match.
The result was an emphatic 9–4 victory.
It was arguably one of Ferrer’s finest performances since breaking onto the international scene and sent him into an all-Filipino semifinal against James Aranas.
Ferrer maintained his momentum there, defeating Aranas 9–5 to become the first player through to the championship match.
His route to the final:
- Alexis Ferrer 9–2 Wu Kun Lin
- Alexis Ferrer 9–7 Derin Asaku Sitorus
- Alexis Ferrer 9–8 Paolo Gallito
- Alexis Ferrer 9–7 Cheng Shun Yang
- Alexis Ferrer 9–4 Ko Pin Yi
- Alexis Ferrer 9–5 James Aranas
Six consecutive victories put Ferrer one match away from the Formosa Cup title.
Amoroto Takes the Longer Road
Amoroto’s journey was very different.
He opened with a 9–5 victory over Fu Che Wei, but his first setback came in Winner Round 2 when he ran into fellow Filipino Raymund Faraon, who handed him a 9–4 defeat.
That sent Amoroto to the elimination side of the double-elimination stage, where every match became a must-win encounter.
Amoroto responded emphatically.
He defeated Taiwan’s Lin Shih Kai, 9–3, to secure his place in the final 32 and keep his championship hopes alive.
From there, the tournament switched to single elimination — and Amoroto began putting together one of the strongest runs of the event.
Back-to-Back Battles for Amoroto
His Last 32 match against Taiwan’s Kuo Po Cheng went all the way to the hill.
Amoroto survived, 9–8.
His Last 16 encounter was another battle, this time against Kuwait’s Bader Alawadhi. Once again Amoroto found himself in a tight contest and once again he finished the job, winning 9–7.
In the quarterfinals he faced South Korea’s Ko Tae Young, who had just come through his own difficult section of the bracket.
Amoroto prevailed 9–6, earning his place among the final four.
Standing between him and an all-Filipino championship match was Taiwan’s Hsieh Chia Chen, who had just eliminated Ko Ping Chung, 9–7, in the quarterfinals.
Amoroto delivered again.
He defeated Hsieh 9–6, officially guaranteeing an all-Filipino final.
His route to the championship match:
- Kyle Amoroto 9–5 Fu Che Wei
- Raymund Faraon 9–4 Kyle Amoroto
- Kyle Amoroto 9–3 Lin Shih Kai
- Kyle Amoroto 9–8 Kuo Po Cheng
- Kyle Amoroto 9–7 Bader Alawadhi
- Kyle Amoroto 9–6 Ko Tae Young
- Kyle Amoroto 9–6 Hsieh Chia Chen
After being sent to the losers’ bracket early, Amoroto won five straight elimination matches to reach the final.
Battle of the Philippine Young Guns
By the time Amoroto and Ferrer met for the championship, the Formosa Cup trophy was already guaranteed to return to the Philippines.
It was also a fitting final between two of the country’s most talented young players.
Ferrer entered the match unbeaten and riding the momentum of victories over Ko Pin Yi and Aranas.
Amoroto arrived having survived the longer road, fighting his way back from an early defeat and winning five consecutive do-or-die matches.
In the end, it was Amoroto who took control of the championship match.
He defeated Ferrer 9–4 to become the 2026 Formosa Cup International Pool Open champion.
Final
🇵🇭 Kyle Amoroto 9–4 Alexis Ferrer 🇵🇭
🏆 Champion — Kyle Amoroto — US$15,000
🥈 Runner-up — Alexis Ferrer — US$8,000
Another International Title for Amoroto
The Formosa Cup victory adds another significant international championship to Amoroto’s 2026 season after he also captured the Peri-Laili Cup in China earlier this year.
But the tournament was about more than the eventual champion.
Amoroto and Ferrer both had to navigate a field packed with some of Asia’s strongest players to reach the championship match.
Ferrer’s victory over Ko Pin Yi was one of the standout performances of the event, while Amoroto showed tremendous resilience after being knocked onto the elimination side early in the tournament.
Both have already won on the international stage, and their performances in Taipei offered another glimpse of what Philippine pool can expect from this generation.
Filipino fans should be proud of what Amoroto and Ferrer accomplished.
Two young players arrived in Taipei to compete against a strong international field. They left having occupied both places in the championship match.
And with both still early in their careers, Amoroto and Ferrer look set to be among the players carrying the Philippine flag on the international stage for many years to come.