Van Boening Fights Back to Keep US Open Dream Alive

Shane Van Boening pulled off a stunning turnaround to reach the Last 64, while former champions Fedor Gorst and Francisco Sanchez Ruiz also battled through as the double-elimination stage of the 2026 US Open Pool Championship wrapped up in Frisco, Texas.

Now in its 49th year, the US Open is being staged at the Embassy Suites in Frisco from August 25–30, with 256 players chasing the Barry Behrman US Open Trophy across six days of nine-ball action.

Van Boening's day started poorly, as he dropped a 9-6 decision to the Netherlands' Marc Bijsterbosch and fell into the losers' bracket. Facing elimination against Vietnam's Phuong Nam Pham, the five-time champion trailed 5-2 before reeling off seven straight racks to complete the comeback and book his Last 64 spot.

"I'm just glad to be back in the Last 64, especially after missing out last year," Van Boening said. "I played badly at the start against Pham, but I changed my break and then the rolls started going my way. Now I need to make sure I carry that momentum into tomorrow. I know what I can do in these events and I've proven I can win in a field this strong. I plan on doing it again this week."

Fedor Gorst also advanced, grinding past Oscar Dominguez 9-5 and sealing the win with a three-rail combination on the nine ball.

"Honestly, I haven't been feeling that well, which I think is why I struggled with a few shots today," Gorst said. "Overall, I played OK and missed a couple that I wouldn't normally miss, but my break was working and that helped me build the lead against Oscar. It was great to have such a big crowd around me. It almost felt like the last day of the event with the amount of people watching. There was no better way I could have finished the match than with that three-rail shot. Now it's time to rest and hopefully feel better. I'm looking forward to the Last 64. From here, it's a completely different tournament."

Elsewhere, former world champions Francisco Sanchez Ruiz and Albin Ouschan met in the losers' bracket, with Ruiz coming out on top to keep his title defence alive.

"I felt good today, especially after yesterday when I struggled to get through and lost a bit of confidence," Ruiz said. "Today I felt like I played better and the balls rolled my way a little more. Tomorrow is a new day. It's the Last 64 of the biggest tournament of the year, so I'll give it everything I have and try to keep going and get that title again."

The day also brought an end to the campaigns of several former champions, including Corey Deuel, Rodney Morris and Johnny Archer. Archer had beaten Chinese Taipei's Lin Ta Li 8-5 earlier in the day before falling 9-5 to fellow American Tyler Styer.

"It sucks to leave the tournament," Archer said. "I would have loved to stay for another day, but that's the game. Tyler is a great player and, to be honest, I don't mind going out to another American. The past few weeks have been great, playing these WNT events, and I'm proud of what I've done after almost a decade away from competing against the best. I truly believe I've shown that I can still compete with the best players in the world."

With the field cut to 64, the tournament moves into straight knockout format, meaning every remaining match is win-or-go-home. Van Boening will face Michael Baoanan in pursuit of a record sixth US Open title, while defending champion and world number one Aloysius Yapp meets Philippines Open champion David Alcaide in one of the standout Last 64 matchups.