Great Britain’s Jayson Shaw was the star of the show at the 2016 WPA World 9-ball Championship yesterday, after he claimed two big scalps to storm into the last 16 at the Al Arabi Sports Club in Doha.
Playing the best pool of his career, the Scot first knocked out defending champion Ko Pin Yi of Taiwan 11-5 in the last 64, before in the round of 32 he beat Philippines’ Dennis Orcollo 11-8.
The 26-year-old had to come from the loser’s side in the group stages, but has upped his game for the knock out stages. “I feel really calm out there,” Shaw said. “I’m just taking it ball by ball, not thinking ahead, grinding away and taking my time. I’m happy with my performance. When the tournament started my goal was to get to the last 16, and I’ll just carry on from here. I’m really pleased, hopefully I can keep the momentum tomorrow and roll on again,” he added.
The round of 16 and the quarter-finals will take place today. The semi-finals and final will be held tomorrow. All matches will be race to 11, alternate break. The Final will be race to 13, alternate break.
Shaw’s next opponent in the round of 16 is Ukraine’s Artem Koshovoj, who only got an entry into this year’s World 9-ball Championship, when he came 5th in the European Championships this year. He only spent two weeks practicing before coming to Doha.
Like Shaw, Koshovoj took down two heavyweights yesterday. He first defeated Philippines’ Johann Chua 11-8 and then cut down Taiwanese veteran Chang Jun Lin 11-7.
Estonia’s Dennis Grabe also advanced, crushing Poland’s  Mieszko Fortunski 11-3 and then in the round of 32 beating 2005 World 9-ball Champion Wu Jiaqing 11-7.
Grabe will now square off against 2007 World 9-ball champion Daryl Peach of Great Britain. Peach beat China’s Li Hewen 11-7 and Taiwan’s Lo Li Wen 11-6 yesterday.
USA’s Shane Van Boening, the runner-up last year in Doha, has played flawlessly so far. Yesterday, he beat Filipino veteran Warren Kiamco and Taiwan’s Wu Kun Lin to seal his spot in the next round.
Van Boeing will be fancied in his round of 16 match against Kuwait’s Omar al-Shaheen, who continued his surprising run, first beating Spain’s Francisco Pizzarro Diaz 11-9, then the UAE’s Salah al-Remawi 11-4.
The winner of the World 9-ball Championship will receive $40,000. The runner up will receive $20,000. The total prize fund is $200,000. The 2016 World 9-ball Championship is being hosted by The Qatar Billiard and Snooker Federation(QBSF), and is sanctioned by the World Pool Billiard Association, the governing body of the sport of pool.

RESULTS
Final 32
Jayson Shaw (GBR) 11-6 Dennis Orcollo (PHL); Artem Koshovoj (UKR) 11 - 7 Chang Jun Lin (TPE); Mario He (AUT) 11-10 Ralf Souquet (GER); Albin Ouschan (AUT) 11-6 Francisco Sanchez (ESP); Alex Pagulayan (CAN) 11-8 Zhou Long (CHN); Muhammad Bewi (INA) 11-10 Toh Lian Han (SIN); Carlo Biado (PHL) 11-4 Jeong Young Hwa (KOR); Ko Ping Chung (TPE) 11-6 Nikos Ekonomopoulos (GRE); Alexander Kazakis (GRE) 10-6 Liu Haitao (CHN); Chu Bing Jie (CHN) 11-3 Karol Skowerski (POL); Shane Van Boening (USA) 11-5 Wu Kun Lin (TPE); Omar Al Shaheen (KUW) 11-4 Salah Al Remawi (UAE); Dennis Grabe (EST) 11-7 Wu Jiaqing (CHN); Daryl Peach (GBR) 11-6 Li Wen Lo (TPE); Cheng Yu Hsuan (TPE) 11-8 Konstantin Stepanov (RUS); Dang Jin Hu (CHN) 11-7 Han Hao Xiang (CHN)

Final 64
Liu Haitao (CHN) 11-4 Yukio Akagariyama (JPN); Alexander Kazakis (GRE) 11-4 Oscar Dominguez (USA); Chu Bing Jie (CHN) 11-3 Ahmed M. Saleh (JOR); Karol Skowerski (POL) 11-7 Hsieh Chia Chen (TPE); Shane Van Boening (USA) 11-7 Warren Kiamco (PHL); Wu Kun Lin (TPE) 11-10 Abdul Rahman Al Amar (KSA); Omar Al Shaheen (KUW) 11-9 Francisco Pizzarro Diaz (ESP); Salah Al Remawi (UAE) 11-5 Roman Hybler (CZE); Wu Jiaqing (CHN) 11-9 Niels Feijen (NED); Dennis Grabe (EST) 11-3 Mieszko Fortunski (POL); Daryl Peach (GBR) 11-7 Li Hewen (CHN); Li Wen Lo (TPE) 11-10 Yang Ching Shun (TPE); Cheng Yu Hsuan (TPE) 11-10 Lee Vann Corteza (PHL); Konstantin Stepanov (RUS) 11-8 Mateusz Sniegocki (POL); Dang Jin Hu (CHN) 11-7 Roberto Gomez (PHL); Han Hao Xiang (CHN) 11-7 Ali Maghsoud (IRN); Jayson Shaw (GBR) 11-5 Ko Pin Yi (TPE); Dennis Orcollo (PHL) 11-8 Throsten Hohmann (GER); Chang Jun Lin (TPE) 11-7 Satoshi Kawabata (JPN); Artem Koshovoj (UKR) 11-9 Johan Chua (PHL); Ralf Souquet (GER) 10-3 Chu Hong Ming (TPE); Mario He (AUT) 11-9 Ruslan Chinakov (RUS); Francisco Sanchez (ESP) 11-8 Hamza M. Saeed (IRI); Albin Ouschan (AUT) 11-7 Jeffery Ignacio (PHL); Zhou Long (CHN) 11-7 Chang Yu Lung (TPE); Alex Pagulayan (CAN) 11-8 Isral Nasution (INA); Mohamed Bewi (INA) 11-7 Karl Boyes (GBR); Toh Lian Han (SIN) 11-6 MD Almin (BAN); Carlo Biado (PHL) 11-5 Ramil Gallego (PHL); Jeong Young Hwa (KOR) 11-9 David Alcaide (ESP); Nikos Ekonomopoulos (GRE) 11-7 Jeffery Deluna (PHL); Ko Ping Chung (TPE) 11-9 Wojciech Szewczyk  (POL)

Today’s Last 16 matches
Jayson Shaw (GBR) vs Artem Koshovoj (UKR); Mario He (AUT) vs Albin Ouschan (AUT); Alex Pagulayan (CAN) vs Mohamed Bewi (INA); Carlo Biado (PHL) vs Ko Ping Chung (TPE); Chu Bing Jie (CHN) vs Alexander Kazakis (GRE); Shane Van Boening (USA) vs Omar Al Shaheen (KUW); Dennis Grabe (EST) vs Daryl Peach (GBR); Cheng Yu Hsuan (TPE) vs Dang Jin Hu (CHN)