15th China Open 9-Ball Championship: Szewczyk, Filler and the $350,000 race in Shanghai

The 15th China Open 9-Ball Championship is set to return to the Tangzhen Cultural and Sports Centre in Shanghai from September 9 to 13, with a total prize fund exceeding $350,000. This WPA ranking event brings together defending men’s champion and world number one Wojciech Szewczyk, three-time winner Joshua Filler, two-time world champion Albin Ouschan, recent US Open champion Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, Fedor Gorst and 2026 runner-up Hijikata. In the women’s draw, defending champion Chihiro Kawahara will face world nine-ball champion Seo Seoa and world number one Wei Tzu-Chien. The Chinese challenge includes Dang Jinhu, Liu Shasha and Fu Xiaofang. The event uses a hybrid format: men play double elimination races to 9 until 32 players remain, then switch to single elimination races to 11. Women play double elimination races to 7 until 16 remain, then switch to single elimination races to 9. Standard WPA rules apply, including the nine-ball on the spot, no break box and the three-point rule. The longer format reduces early upsets but tests stamina and consistency. Returning to Tangzhen adds local familiarity, while coverage on Kozoom Pool YouTube and Chinese platforms underlines the tournament’s commercial appeal. The key storyline is not just who wins, but which players adapt best when the format shifts from race-to-9 to the longer race-to-11.