Joshua Filler and Fedor Gorst will contest the 2024 World Pool Masters final at the Halle39 in Hildesheim, Germany, in partnership with local organiser Moltke Sports and host broadcaster Sky Sports.
The semi-finals commenced with a mouthwatering matchup, featuring defending champion Ko Pin Yi and the 2022 World Pool Masters champion, Joshua Filler, both eyeing their second World Pool Masters title.
Filler took an early lead in the opening racks, with Ko closely trailing behind, securing a victory in the third rack. However, Ko’s missed attempt to pocket the 5 ball in the fourth rack handed Filler an opportunity to showcase his prowess with an incredible bank shot on the 8 ball. The ‘Prince of Pool’ retaliated against Filler’s safety play with the 1 ball, setting himself up for a 1-9 combo off the bank.
Despite the initially balanced playing field, Ko’s failure to sink two long shots in racks 7 and 9 paved the way for Filler to establish an unassailable lead in the semi-final. Filler’s five-rack winning streak was interrupted in rack 12 when Ko fluked the 9 ball off the 2 ball after Filler played a safety shot. In rack 14, Filler attempted to seize back control but missed the 4 ball, allowing Ko to execute a spectacular jump shot on the 5 ball and secure his third consecutive rack win.
However, Ko’s winning streak was short-lived as he failed to pocket the 5 ball in the following rack, enabling Filler to not only clear up but also reach the hill in rack 16. Despite Ko’s valiant efforts to secure two more rack wins in the seventeenth and eighteenth, his luck ran out in rack 19 when he scratched while attempting to pocket the 1 ball. This setback allowed ‘Killer’ Filler to eliminate the defending champion and advance into the final with his head held high.
The semi-finals concluded with a grudge match between the British billiards player Jayson Shaw and the American sensation Fedor Gorst, seeking vengeance after his defeat to Shaw in the Hanoi Open last year.