Anton Raga is the 2026 Japan Open champion.

The Filipino cue artist finally secured his breakthrough on the international stage, defeating veteran countryman Antonio Lining, 8-3, in an all-Filipino championship match to win the men’s 10-ball title at the 39th Japan Open in Tokyo.

For Raga, the victory marks his first major international title after years of deep runs and near-misses against some of the world’s best players.

It also completed a remarkable tournament for the Philippines, which dominated the closing stages of the men’s event and also celebrated a runner-up finish from Denise Santos in the women’s 9-ball championship.

Anton Raga finally breaks through in Tokyo

Raga entered the final against one of the most experienced Filipino players in the field. Antonio Lining had already won the Japan Open twice, taking the title in 2006 and 2014, and was bidding to add another championship to his long career.

The final remained competitive through the early stages, with Raga holding a narrow 4-3 advantage. From there, the match swung decisively in his favor.

Raga took control with composed shot-making, disciplined safety play and strong execution through the difficult positions, winning the final four racks to complete an 8-3 victory.

The win gives Raga the major international championship that had repeatedly eluded him despite several impressive runs overseas.

Raga receives the ¥1,400,000 champion’s prize, approximately US$8,893, while Lining earns ¥700,000, approximately US$4,446, for his runner-up finish. USD conversions are approximate and may vary with exchange rates.

Philippines dominates the men’s draw

Raga’s championship was the final chapter of an extraordinary showing by the Filipino contingent in Tokyo.

7 Filipinos in the Last 16 → 5 in the quarterfinals → 4 in the semifinals → 2 in the final → 1 Filipino champion.

Seven Filipino players advanced into the men’s Last 16. Five were still alive when the tournament reached the quarterfinals, and by the semifinals, every remaining player was from the Philippines.

That guaranteed an all-Filipino championship match before the final session even began.

Raga defeated fellow Filipino Miguel Salvilla in the semifinals to advance to the title match, while Lining came through the other half of the draw against Valeriano Pajuay.

Salvilla and Pajuay shared third place, completing a Philippine sweep of all four podium positions in the men’s division.

Chen Siming survives Denise Santos in hill-hill women’s final

The women’s championship produced a much tighter finish as China’s Chen Siming defeated the Philippines’ Denise Santos, 7-6, in a dramatic hill-hill final.

Chen, a former Women’s World 9-Ball Champion and one of the leading players of her generation, advanced through the closing stages of the event with victories over Japan’s Samia Konishi in the quarterfinals and Miyuki Kuribayashi in the semifinals.

Santos struck first in the championship match, taking the opening rack, but Chen soon settled into her rhythm and began to build an advantage with the smooth and controlled stroke that has become one of the trademarks of her game.

Chen eventually moved ahead 6-3 and appeared to be closing in on the championship, but the match was far from finished.

Denise Santos fights all the way back

With Chen on the hill, Santos was given another opportunity after the Chinese star failed to convert the 9-ball on two separate occasions.

Santos took advantage and battled all the way back, erasing the deficit and forcing the championship into a deciding rack at 6-6.

The final rack developed into a tactical contest in the early stages before Chen produced a key shot on the 3-ball and eventually gained control of the table. This time, she completed the finish to secure a 7-6 victory and her first Japan Open championship.

For Santos, the loss came only after pushing one of the world’s most accomplished women’s players all the way to the final rack.

Her runner-up finish also ensured that the Philippines was represented in the championship match of both the men’s and women’s divisions at the 2026 Japan Open.

Strong finish for Japan in the women’s event

Japan also placed two players on the women’s podium, with Mari Fukawa and Miyuki Kuribayashi sharing third place.

Kuribayashi reached the semifinals before falling to eventual champion Chen, while Fukawa completed the other side of the final four.

Another Japanese title for Chen Siming

The Japan Open victory adds another major Japanese championship to Chen’s résumé.

She previously won the All Japan Championship in 2011 and 2017. With her first Japan Open title in 2026, Chen now owns three major tournament victories in Japan.

A memorable Japan Open for the Philippines

While Raga leaves Tokyo with the championship trophy, the overall Philippine performance went far beyond a single title.

The Philippines occupied all four semifinal positions in the men’s division, with Raga, Lining, Salvilla and Pajuay completing a remarkable sweep of the final four.

Santos then came within a single rack of adding the women’s championship, recovering from 6-3 down before ultimately falling to Chen in the deciding rack.

That gave the Philippines the men’s champion, men’s runner-up, both men’s third-place finishers and the women’s runner-up in one of the country’s strongest collective performances at the Japan Open.

For Raga in particular, the result ends a long wait. After repeatedly coming close at major international events, he can finally add a major overseas championship to his name.

What You Need to Know

• 🇵🇭 Anton Raga defeated 🇵🇭 Antonio Lining, 8-3, to win the 2026 Japan Open men’s 10-ball championship.
• The victory is Raga’s first major international title.
• Raga earned ¥1,400,000, approximately US$8,893, while Lining earned ¥700,000, approximately US$4,446.
• The Philippines had seven players in the Last 16, five in the quarterfinals and all four semifinalists in the men’s event.
• 🇵🇭 Miguel Salvilla and 🇵🇭 Valeriano Pajuay shared third place, giving the Philippines all four podium positions in the men’s division.
• 🇨🇳 Chen Siming defeated 🇵🇭 Denise Santos, 7-6, to win the women’s 9-ball championship.
• Santos recovered from 6-3 down to force the women’s final to hill-hill before Chen won the deciding rack.
• 🇯🇵 Mari Fukawa and 🇯🇵 Miyuki Kuribayashi shared third place in the women’s event.
• The victory was Chen’s first Japan Open title and her third major tournament victory in Japan after winning the All Japan Championship in 2011 and 2017.