SINGAPORE – Having largely made his name in 9-ball and 10-ball pool, Singapore cue master Aloysius Yapp outdid himself on April 8, when he was crowned 8-ball world champion after beating Spain’s Francisco Ruiz 10-4 in the final of the US$300,000 (S$382,000) WPA Men’s 8-Ball World Championship.

The southpaw looked on in disbelief after potting the final 8-ball before climbing on top the table and celebrate with a double-fisted flex, and then sinking back in his chair to soak up the moment.

He now joins a list of 8-ball world champions that includes Filipino legend Efren Reyes, boyhood hero Wu Jia-qing, fellow Taiwanese-born mate and mentor Chang Jung-lin, who died in 2025 aged 40, and modern-day greats such as American Shane Van Boening and Ruiz/Ouschan.

En route to the title, Yapp defeated Poland’s Radoslaw Babica (8-1), Russian-born Fedor Gorst (8-5), Finland’s Casper Matikainen (10-6), Gorst (10-9) again, then two more Poles Daniel Maciol (10-6) and Wiktor Zielinski (10-4) before his final victory at the Hyatt Regency in Missouri, United States.

Besides becoming Singapore’s first world champion in the sport, there was more reason to cheer for the 29-year-old, as he picked up US$90,000 for the biggest winner’s cheque of his career. The win also takes his earnings past $1 million, according to online resource AZBilliards.

His latest accolade comes as a surprise as this is only the second time Yapp has played in the 8-ball world championship, after he failed to make it to the last 32 in 2022, according to billiards website Billiard Walker.

But he played like a man on fire, especially since coming from 5-8 down to beat two-time 9-ball world champion and World Nineball Tour No. 1 Gorst in the last 16.

In the latter stages, he never trailed. In the final, he had a superb 78 per cent break succe...