All news tagged CarloBiado

SPAIN STEALS GOLD FROM BIADO-MANAS IN HEART-STOPPING WORLD FINAL

They were one rack away from glory. Then, in the biggest moment, the table turned.

Carlo Biado and 19-year-old AJ Manas came agonizingly close to conquering the world, settling for silver after Spain’s Francisco Sánchez Ruiz and David Alcaide survived a pulsating hill-hill battle in the WPA Men’s Doubles 10-Ball World Championship on Monday.

For the Philippines, it was a painful ending to a remarkable run.

For Spain, it was a championship won by staying composed when everything was on the line.

The Filipino pair—experience and youth in one formidable tandem—pushed the Spanish powerhouse duo to the absolute limit, splitting the first four sets at 2-2 and setting up a winner-take-all fifth.

And then came the moment that changed everything.

With the championship hanging in the balance, Manas stepped up to shoot the 7-ball in the fifth rack.

The 19-year-old phenom missed his intended mark—and scratched in the corner pocket.

It was the kind of mistake that can haunt a player.

Spain immediately pounced.

Sánchez Ruiz and Alcaide converted the opening, taking a 3-2 rack lead before calmly finishing the deciding rack to capture the world championship. Just like that, the Filipino dream was over.

The defeat denied 42-year-old Biado his first dedicated WPA Men’s Doubles world title and left Manas just short of what could have been his first senior WPA world championship crown.

But the silver medal tells only part of the story.

Biado brought the experience of one of the Philippines’ most accomplished cue artists.

Manas brought the fearlessness of a teenager making his mark against the world's best.

Together, they proved they belonged on the biggest stage.

And now, they get another chance. There is barely any time to dwell on what happened in Bali.

Biado and Manas now turn their attention to the Reyes Cup, where they will suit up for Team Asia in defense of its prestigious 9-ball crown.

The third edition of the blockbuster event is scheduled for October 15 to 18 at the Makati Coliseum in the Philippines.

This time, they return home. The crowd will be behind them.

And after coming one rack short of a world championship, Biado and Manas will have something more than a trophy to chase.

Redemption. The world title slipped away in Bali. The next battle begins on home soil.

ONE WIN AWAY FROM WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP GLORY!

Carlo Biado and Albert James Manas are one victory away from world championship glory after surviving a grueling five-set semifinal at the 2026 Isak Billiard WPA Men’s Doubles 10-Ball World Championship.

The Filipino tandem dug deep to edge Indonesia’s Albert Januarta and Irsal Nasution, 3-2 (3-4, 4-3, 3-4, 4-2, 4-1), in a dramatic battle that went down to the wire.

It was a match of momentum swings.

Indonesia struck first. The Filipinos answered. The Indonesians reclaimed the advantage before Biado and Manas found another gear when the pressure was at its highest.

And when the deciding fifth set arrived, the Filipinos delivered their strongest response—closing it out, 4-1, to punch their ticket to the championship match.

This wasn’t just about making the final.

It was about surviving when one mistake could have ended the run.

Now, the pressure shifts to the biggest match of all.

Biado and Manas will face the winner of Spain vs. Poland for the world championship.

The final is set for October 5 at 1:30 p.m. Philippine time on Table 1.

From a five-set war to the world title stage, the Filipino duo has earned its shot.

ONE MATCH. ONE TITLE. ONE CHANCE TO PUT THE PHILIPPINES ON TOP OF THE WORLD. 🇵🇭🏆🔥

The semifinal is history.

NOW, FINISH THE JOB.

Reigning world pool champion Carlo Biado, along with Johann Chua and Bernie Regalario, advanced to the Last 64 knockout stage of the 2025 Florida Open Pool Championship at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando on Wednesday, August 6.

Biado continued his dominant run with a 9–4 victory over fellow Filipino Roland Garcia. Chua and Regalario both pulled off nail-biting wins—Chua edged Norway’s Emil Gangflot, and Regalario outlasted Canada’s John Morra, each prevailing with a 9–8 scoreline.

Eight more Filipinos remain in contention for spots in the next stage, including Lee Vann Corteza and Marvin Asis, who are facing Finland’s Arseni Sevastyanov and Scotland’s Jayson Shaw, respectively, as of press time.

Garcia, meanwhile, was relegated to the loser’s bracket, joining Jefrey Roda, Patric Gonzales, and Michael Baoanan, who also dropped their third-round matches. Roda suffered a close 9–8 loss to Greece’s Dimitris Loukatos; Gonzales fell to Vietnam’s Duong Quoc Hoang, 9–3; and Baoanan bowed to Japan’s Naoyuki Oi, 9–5.

Harry Vergara, Roberto Gomez, and Miguel Salvilla are also battling to stay alive in the loser’s bracket after earlier setbacks.

The tournament began with a 256-player field and continues to intensify as the competition narrows.

Carlo Biado has made history once again, becoming the first Filipino to win a second World Pool Championship title after dethroning defending champion Fedor Gorst in a thrilling 15-13 final in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, yesterday morning, July 27 (Philippine time).

Biado, who first captured the World Nineball crown in 2017 in Doha, Qatar, is now the only Filipino to lift the prestigious trophy twice. In the final, Gorst raced to a quick 2-0 lead, but Biado responded with a dominant 9-2 run. Gorst clawed his way back, capitalizing on Biado’s errors to tie the match at 9-all and again at 13-all.

"I'm over the moon—I still can't believe I'm a two-time world champion. It means everything to me. I'm so proud to bring this trophy home to the Philippines," Biado said.

Undeterred, the 41-year-old showed poise under pressure, taking the last two racks to seal the victory and the title.

"This final is something I'll remember forever. Fedor is one of the best in the world," he added.

With this feat, Biado joins Filipino pool legends Efren “Bata” Reyes (1999), Ronnie Alcano (2006), and Francisco “Django” Bustamante (2010) as World Pool champions.

Meanwhile, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham “Bambol” Tolentino lauded Biado for upholding the country’s winning legacy in billiards.

“This is another great reason to rejoice and celebrate. Carlo Biado becoming the only player in the world to win the 9-ball championship twice is remarkable. Long live Biado and Philippine billiards,” he said.

The POC, which currently oversees the Billiard Sports Confederation of the Philippines (BSCP) following its suspension by the Asian Confederation of Billiard Sport, reaffirmed its commitment to support the country’s billiards athletes in training and international competitions, including the upcoming Southeast Asian Games in Thailand this December.

"We will continue to work, guide and help our national billiards athletes in their training and competitions abroad, including the Thailand SEA Games this December," Tolentino added.

Out of 18 Filipino cue artists who began their campaigns at the 2025 World Pool Championship, only seven remain in the hunt for the title as the tournament heads into the Round of 16.

Veterans Roland Garcia and AJ Manas made early exits, falling in the Round of 64.

Advancing further were Marvin Asis, Michael Feliciano, and Johann Chua, but all three were stopped in the Round of 32—each falling to a red-hot Anton Raga, who has quietly emerged as one of the most dangerous players in the draw.

The Round of 16, scheduled for tonight, July 25, will showcase two all-Filipino showdowns:

Bernie Regalario vs. Patric Gonzales

Carlo Biado vs. Jeffrey Ignacio

These matchups ensure that at least two Filipino players will move on to the quarterfinals, continuing the Philippines’ proud tradition of excellence in world-class pool competition.

With Anton Raga, Regalario, Gonzales, Biado, and Ignacio still in the mix, Filipino fans have every reason to be hopeful for another deep run—and possibly another world title.

Former champions Carlo Biado and Johann Chua kicked off their title bids in strong fashion at the 2025 World Pool Championships in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Chua delivered a commanding start at the World Pool Championship, blanking hometown favorite Mohamed Al-Balkhi, 9-0, to advance to the second round.

Fresh off his Knight Shot Open triumph in Dubai, Chua’s impressive win set the tone for the Philippine contingent’s dominant campaign, with 16 out of 18 Filipino players moving on to the next stage. Chua is set to face Oliver Szolnoki next.

Filipino cue artist Carlo Biado, on the other hand, defeated Jan Van Lierop of the Netherlands, 9-5, while last year’s semifinalist Chua blanked local hopeful Mohammed Al-Balkhi, 9-0.

Meanwhile, fourteen other Filipino cue artists remain in contention after the opening round.

Advancing to the next stage were Roland Garcia, who routed Dutch star Niels Feijen, 9-4; Marvin Asis, who edged Spain’s David Alcaide, 9-8; Michael Feliciano, who cruised past Poland’s Konrad Juszczyszyn, 9-3; Bernie Regalario, who dominated Kuwait’s Abdullah Alenzi, 9-2; and Patrick Gonzales, who beat Czechia’s Roman Hybler, 9-3.

James Aranas, the 2023 World Cup Pool co-champion, overcame Egypt’s Wesam Hamamm, 9-4, while Lee Vann Corteza, a multi-SEA Games gold medalist, outlasted Al Waleed Al-Mudayan of Saudi Arabia, 9-7.

Seventeen of the Philippines’ top billiards players are set to battle for the coveted Crown Jewel of Nineball as the World Pool Championship kicks off Monday at the Green Halls in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Led by former world champion Carlo Biado and 2023 semifinalist Johann Chua, the Philippines will field the largest contingent in the 128-man field, all gunning for a piece of the record-setting prize pool for the champion. 

Chua and Biado headline the campaign as they look to deliver the country’s fifth world title, following in the footsteps of Filipino legends Efren “Bata” Reyes (1999), Ronnie Alcano (2006), Francisco “Django” Bustamante (2010), and Biado himself, who lifted the trophy in 2017 and finished runner-up in 2018.

Joining them are veterans James Aranas, Lee Vann Corteza, and Roland Garcia, alongside emerging stars AJ Manas, Anton Raga, Bernie Regalario, and Jefrey Roda. Also flying the flag are Michael Feliciano, Jeffrey Ignacio, Michael Baoanan, Marvin Asis, Alexis Ferrer, Mark Kalagayan, and Marlon Caneda.

The road to the title, however, won't be easy. Defending champion Fedor Gorst (USA) enters as the heavy favorite, chasing his third world crown and aiming to become the first back-to-back winner since Earl Strickland's legendary run from 1990 to 1992.

Other top contenders include Joshua Filler (Germany), Francisco Sanchez Ruiz (Spain), Jayson Shaw (Great Britain), Aloysius Yapp (Singapore), the Ko brothers—Pin Yi and Ping Chung (Chinese Taipei)—and Shane Van Boening (USA).

Carlo "THE BLACK TIGER" Biado is a Filipino professional pool player. His highest-profile wins include the World Nine-ball Championship and the World Ten-ball Championship in 2017 and 2024.

He started playing pool at age 13 and worked as a caddie at the Villamor Air Base golf course while still a student.

Biado became a professional pool player in 2004 but failed to win any major world title in his first ten years.

In 2015, he reached the final of the WPA World Ten-ball Championship, defeating David Alcaide and Nikos Ekonomopoulos in the knockout rounds.

In 2017, Biado defeated Jayson Shaw of the UK, 11–7, to win the men's 9-ball event at the World Games. In 2019, he also reached the final of the WPA Players Championship, narrowly losing to Kevin Cheng, 12–11.

In 2021, Biado defeated Aloysius Yapp, 13–8, to win the U.S. Open Pool Championship. With the win, he joined Alex Pagulayan and Efren Reyes as one of the few Filipino players to have won the prestigious tournament.

He went on to defeat fellow Filipino cue artist Johann Chua, 9–3, to win the men's Ten-ball singles gold medal at the 31st Southeast Asian Games held at the Ha Dong Gymnasium in Vietnam.

In 2022, the trio of Johann Chua, Carlo Biado, and Rubilen Amit triumphed in the WPA World Teams Championship, sweeping Great Britain—composed of Jayson Shaw, Kelly Fisher, and Darren Appleton—3–0 in the final held in Klagenfurt, Austria.

With the win, they delivered the Philippines its first world team ten-ball title after runner-up finishes in 2010 and 2014, the last time the tournament was held before being revived in 2022.