AJ Manas, Moritz Neuhausen and Francisco Bustamante were all eliminated on the opening day of the 2026 Philippines Open, producing three major shocks at Gateway Mall in Quezon City. Defending champion David Alcaide and world No. 1 Aloysius Yapp avoided the upset wave with commanding victories.
What were the biggest upsets on the opening day?
Local player Meynard Tipawan produced the highest-profile result by defeating reigning European Open champion Moritz Neuhausen 10-6. Neuhausen struggled to establish his usual rhythm, while Tipawan repeatedly converted the opportunities that came his way.
The defeat ended Neuhausen's immediate hopes of strengthening his Mosconi Cup qualification position through the Philippines Open. It also removed one of the event's most dangerous European contenders before the Last 64.
| Winning player | Eliminated player | Score | Defining detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meynard Tipawan | Moritz Neuhausen | 10-6 | Local player eliminated the European Open champion |
| Rommel Janael Santos | AJ Manas | 10-9 | Santos recovered after trailing 8-3 |
| Rodrigo Geronimo | Francisco Bustamante | 10-0 | Complete shutout against the Reyes Cup captain |
How did AJ Manas lose after leading 8-3?
Manas appeared to be in complete control against Rommel Janael Santos when he built an 8-3 advantage. A missed 6-ball prevented Manas from reaching the hill, and the momentum of the match changed immediately.
Santos forced a hill-hill decider and completed a 10-9 comeback. From 8-3 down, he won seven of the final eight racks—a remarkable closing run against a player who had looked certain to advance only minutes earlier.
The result was the most dramatic reversal of the session. Manas was only two racks from victory at 8-3, but Santos remained composed long enough to turn one opening into sustained pressure.
Why did Francisco Bustamante suffer a 10-0 defeat?
Francisco Bustamante was whitewashed 10-0 by fellow Filipino Rodrigo Geronimo. The result came only days after Bustamante captained Team Asia at the Reyes Cup, and the veteran acknowledged that fatigue had affected his condition.
Geronimo still had to capitalize, and he did so without surrendering a rack. Bustamante described his opponent as one of the Philippines' leading players and admitted that his own game never reached the level required to compete.
For the home crowd, the outcome carried mixed emotions: a national icon exited immediately, but another Filipino player earned one of the most decisive victories of the opening round.
How did David Alcaide begin his title defence?
Defending champion David Alcaide made a controlled start, defeating local player Rodlin John Bautista 10-1. The Spaniard showed little evidence of opening-round pressure and moved into the Last 64 with the widest winning margin among the tournament's leading international names.
Alcaide's performance contrasted sharply with the exits of Neuhausen, Manas and Bustamante. While several established players struggled to settle, the defending champion imposed his pace early and never allowed the match to become competitive.
How did Aloysius Yapp and the other Team Asia players perform?
World No. 1 Aloysius Yapp overcame a difficult start to beat American Raphael Dabreo 10-2 on his Philippines Open debut. Yapp changed back to his familiar shaft after struggling with different equipment, then improved sufficiently to take control of the match.
Former Hanoi Open champion Johann Chua also advanced to the Last 64 on his return to a World Nineball Tour Major. Yapp and Chua joined Carlo Biado, Albert Januarta, Robbie Capito and Duong Quoc Hoang in the next round.
Duong delivered one of the fastest and most dominant performances of the day, whitewashing Aleksandar Atanasov 10-0 in only 52 minutes.
| Player advancing | Opponent | Score | Opening-day takeaway |
|---|---|---|---|
| David Alcaide | Rodlin John Bautista | 10-1 | Strong start to his title defence |
| Aloysius Yapp | Raphael Dabreo | 10-2 | Recovered after changing back to his usual shaft |
| Duong Quoc Hoang | Aleksandar Atanasov | 10-0 | Completed the shutout in 52 minutes |
| Johann Chua | Not specified | Advanced | Returned successfully to a WNT Major |
What did the first day reveal about the Philippines Open field?
The opening day showed the depth of Filipino pool. Tipawan, Santos and Geronimo defeated internationally recognized opponents in three very different ways: a controlled 10-6 win, a comeback from five racks behind and a 10-0 shutout.
The short path from the opening round to elimination also placed a premium on adaptation. Neuhausen never found his timing, Manas failed to close after reaching 8-3, and Bustamante could not recover physically or technically after a demanding Reyes Cup week.
At the same time, Alcaide, Yapp and Duong demonstrated what efficient front-running looks like. Their combined score across three matches was 30-3, providing a sharp statistical contrast to the day's headline exits.
Who plays next at Gateway Mall?
The second day brings several members of the newly crowned Reyes Cup champion team into the Philippines Open draw. Shane Van Boening, Fedor Gorst, Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, Aleksa Pecelj and captain Ralf Souquet are scheduled to begin their individual campaigns in Manila.
The 2026 Philippines Open runs from October 20-24 at Gateway Mall in Quezon City. Coverage is available through One Sports in the Philippines and WNT TV internationally.
Who eliminated AJ Manas from the 2026 Philippines Open?
Rommel Janael Santos defeated AJ Manas 10-9 after recovering from an 8-3 deficit.
Who beat Moritz Neuhausen in Quezon City?
Meynard Tipawan defeated the reigning European Open champion 10-6.
What was Francisco Bustamante's opening-round score?
Bustamante lost 10-0 to fellow Filipino Rodrigo Geronimo.
Did defending champion David Alcaide advance?
Yes. Alcaide began his title defence with a 10-1 victory over Rodlin John Bautista.
How quickly did Duong Quoc Hoang win his match?
Duong defeated Aleksandar Atanasov 10-0 in 52 minutes.
