FILIPINO cue master Johann Chua stunned former world No. 1 Fedor Gorst with a commanding 13-6 victory to clinch the 2025 Knight Shot Dubai Open title, while rising star Sean Mark Malayan captured his first major international crown at the 2025 Predator PBC Indonesia International 10-Ball Open in Jakarta.
Chua pulled away from a tight 7-6 scoreline by stringing together six consecutive racks, shutting the door on Gorst’s comeback hopes.
Earlier in the semifinals, Chua also turned back Spanish ace David Alcaide, 11-7, en route to the $15,000 top prize.
More than the title, the Dubai win is expected to give Chua a significant confidence boost ahead of next week’s World Pool Championship in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he spearheads a 15-player Filipino contingent.
In Jakarta, Chezka Centeno narrowly missed a finals berth in the Indonesia Women’s Open, falling to Korea’s Seo Seoa, 1-2, in the semifinals. However, Centeno remains in the hunt in the Mixed Doubles division. She and partner Jeff de Luna advanced to the quarterfinals after sweeping Taiwanese duo Chang and Chiang, 2-0.
Just a day earlier, the 23-year-old Malayan—hailing from Hilongos, Leyte—staged a career breakthrough by winning the men’s 10-Ball Open title. He blanked former Las Vegas Open champion Wu Kun Lin of Chinese Taipei, 2-0, in the finals.
Malayan’s impressive run included a gritty 2-1 semifinal win over fellow Filipino Kyle Amoroto and a hard-fought quarterfinal triumph against hometown bet Yoni Rahmanto, also 2-1.
The victory earned Malayan a $25,000 prize, roughly 1.4 million pesos.
