Break Room Billiards is media brand and billiards supplies small business out of San Antonio, TX. “On The Hill” is our weekly newsletter which includes tournament results and updates, gear worth buying, and what’s happening in the sport. We’ll also highlight regional and smaller events, money matches, and cool content we come across.
The Week That Set Everything Up
The last ten days in professional pool were as good as it gets. Here's what happened and why it all points to the European Open in Sarajevo.
John Morra denied Shane Van Boening a three-peat at Griff's in Las Vegas. The Canadian trailed in the US Open 10-Ball final more than once, but made the decisive cross-side bank on the 4-ball with both players on the hill to win 13-12. SVB had won this event two years running. Not this time.
Fedor Gorst then went to work in the 8-Ball. He won the final 11-3 over Roland Garcia in an exhibition of break-and-run pool that made the world's number-one player look like exactly that. Dominant from start to finish. Then he got on a plane to Sarajevo.
Meanwhile in Thailand, the inaugural Pattaya Open produced an all-Filipino final. Johann Chua beat compatriot James Aranas 15-5 to win the first-ever WNT ranking event held in Thailand. On the heels of the Philippines winning the WPA Teams World Championship by coming back from 0-2 against Poland, it's been a historic stretch for Filipino pool.
Then late last night, back in Las Vegas at the US Open Bank Pool Championship, John Morra and Shane Van Boening squared off again in the finals. No this is not a typo or misprint. Morra, who’s been playing lights out this week, jumped out to a 2-0 lead in an extended race to 6. Then, leading 3-1 and needing 2 balls with ball-in-hand to take a commanding 4-1 lead, Morra scratches and SVB cleans up to make it 3-2. Drama ensues. Morra gets to the hill first, and its well after midnight in Vegas, but he pulls through to win the 2026 US Open Banks Pool championship. His second title this week, just incredible. Check out our video of the final rack to relive the moment, link in sources.
Left: Morra wins the 10ball. Right: Bank Pool
And now the European Open is underway in Sarajevo, the first WNT ranking major of the year. Joshua Filler, who beat Gorst with eight consecutive racks in the Vegas Men's Open final two weeks ago, arrives as the defending champion. $225,000 on the table. $40,000 to the winner. Six days of competition through March 15. A free stream of table #4 will be showing matches on Matchroom Pool’s YouTube channel.
Sources: US Open Events at Griff’s | Pattaya Open | WNT European Open | Matchroom Pool YouTube | Banks Pool Final Rack
US Open 1 Pocket Update
While you're reading this, Griff's US Open 1 Pocket Championship is in progress, March 10-13. This is the last event of the series, and it looks to not disappoint. One pocket specialist Tony Chohan, Justin Hall, and Josh Roberts join the field of heavy hitters still grinding away in Las Vegas. This format really is a fan favorite, catch all the action on Griff’s YT page.
Buy Box
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Player Spotlight
Joshua Filler: The Case Is Being Built
You can look at the WNT rankings, which say Fedor Gorst is #1. Or you can look at the last two weeks, which say Filler has something to say about that. In Las Vegas, Filler defeated Gorst in the Men's Open final by running eight consecutive racks, it wasn't close at the end.
He also won the Mixed Doubles Turbo with wife Pia, making him the only player at the 2026 Las Vegas events to win both a major singles title and a mixed doubles championship.
Now he's in Sarajevo as the defending European Open champion, winning it convincingly last year 13-1. He beat the world #1 two weeks ago. He enters this week on the strongest run of form in the sport. He checks every box: recent wins, dominant performances, defending title, social attention. Watch his bracket.
Watch This
Shane Van Boening Makes 10-Ball Look Easy.
InsidePOOLmag posted this yesterday. Its from SVB’s early days showing an effortless break and run in 10ball . A 3 minute watch of why he's been the best American player for two decades. Worth a watch before you pick up a cue.
Quick Hits
🇵🇭 Philippines won the 2026 WPA Teams World Championship in Las Vegas recently. They came back from 0-2 in the final against Poland to win in a shootout. Team: Carlo Biado, Chezka Centeno, Rubilen Amit, Jefrey Roda. First prize: $120,000.
🎱 Pool goes Calvin Klein. Dakota Johnson’s Calvin Klein's Spring 2026 campaign released this week, and it partly features her playing pool on a blush pink table in some CK skivvies. The r/billiards community had opinions (175 upvotes, 84 comments, mostly about her form). Is the sport is mainstream enough to anchor a major fashion shoot now, or just a chic backdrop?
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Pool Community and Culture
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