Chinese Taipei icon Ko Pin-Yi started his pool match at Diamond Las Vegas Open on Wednesday. This event took place at the Rio Hotel and Casino, in Las Vegas, USA.
According to the reports, the winner and runner-up of the 2020 Diamond Las Vegas Open will earn the final two spots in the $100,000 added 2020 Predator World 10-Ball Championship.
Speaking to reporters, the staff at CueSports International said the biggest changes which players and fans alike will notice in this year’s version of the event is the switch to 10-ball from 9 ball.
“Nine-ball is somewhat problematic on the pro level. The change also stays consistent with the Predator World 10-Ball Championship and the other things that we plan to build in the future.” Reynolds said.
The 10-Ball will on seven competitions and the field could not be more top-class. Only China’s Liu Haitao is missing from the top 15 of the new matchroom world rankings.
Diamond Las Vegas is a part of the 2020 CueSports International Expo, an international billiards extravaganza consisting of the BCA Pool League World Championships, USA Pool League National Championships, Diamond Las Vegas Open & Predator World 10-Ball Championship.
In the first round, Ko beat Poland’s Mieszko Fortunski, 7-2, who finished second at last year’s Diamond Las Vegas Open. In the second round, he what he had to do in a steady 7-5 win over the Spaniard Francisco Sanchez-Ruiz.
The 2015 World 9-Ball Champion looked good in the third round as he handily beat his opponent Jesus Atencio, 7-5. Ko finally knocked out by the American icon Justin Bregman, 7-5, in the sixth round.
In 2011, Ko teamed with his brother Ko Pin-Chung to form the Taiwanese side that lost to Nitiwat Kanjanasri and Kobkit Palajin at the World Cup of Pool in the semi-final.
In February 2015, Ko reached the semi-finals of the 2015 WPA World 10-Ball Championship, where he played his brother.
