Seems like there's not much interest since it moved from VA. Even the 9 ball field doesn't look like it use to....
International Open 2025
- Thread starter jax_joe
- Start date
Underway and sunk in short order.
We were at 6-6 the first game and I screwed up. The next two games had touchy openings and I got a couple but then he’d razor cut a ball in and pretty much ran out the last two games.
Still, I felt OK about how I played. Some fubas but many nice shots and banks too.
I have some thoughts about this event I’ll post tomorrow. At the airport and on the way home now.
Lou Figueroa
lives to fight
another day
Cord
Active member
Looks like Oi and the Fin.
Oi won that match about 6 hours ago. He is now in the final match with Yapp; Oi losing 3-7 at present.
Flakeandrun
Well-known member
Will Oi ever win anything?
Still unknown.
Well there was one Euro thing. The invincible warrior thing just doesn't work when there's too much resistance.
Agree, from the few racks I watched a couple days ago. Much better than before. I wonder if Pat talked to him. In either case, he is doing great.sigel is actually quite good in comms so far. talks about the game, acknowledges the players.. what happened to him?
You know doesn't exactly sound like Sigel. Like the tape is running fast. Also the dialog and brash tone is down - like he just woke up or something.
one pocket:
scott on comms
scott on comms
If anyone reading this is at the International and is able to speak with Mark Wilson, it might be a good idea to inform him of a mistake he made in the commentary that might be good to correct.
During a match a day or two ago Mike Sigel brought up Marlon Manalo, indicating how much he liked Marlon's game. Mark Wilson then said that Marlon died quite a few years ago in a motorcycle accident. I think Manalo is still alive and Mark was thinking of Leonardo Andam.
During a match a day or two ago Mike Sigel brought up Marlon Manalo, indicating how much he liked Marlon's game. Mark Wilson then said that Marlon died quite a few years ago in a motorcycle accident. I think Manalo is still alive and Mark was thinking of Leonardo Andam.
I'm Facebook friends with Mark. I can shoot him a private message later today.
I looked up Leonardo Andam on Google, and sure enough, he had the fatal motorcycle accident on May 22, 2014.
Marlon Manalo was a player with one of the more interesting paths in the cue world. Long before his pool fame, he actually played snooker and even owned a snooker club. He also earned a degree in economics. In the early 2000s he jumped onto the American pool scene, and during the IPT boom he really made noise, 5th place at the IPT King of the Hill in Orlando (December 2005) for $66,000 and runner-up to Thorsten Hohmann at the IPT North American event in Vegas, earning $99,000.
After that run, Marlon shifted gears and entered politics in the Philippines, holding various positions over the years. But he never walked away from cue sports completely. He competed in the Qatar Open in December 2024, and as of August 2025 he’s the CEO of Pacman’s Cue Club.
Back in the Joss Northeast 9-Ball Tour days, the Filipino players usually traveled like a family, eating together, playing cards or chess between matches. Marlon was different. Cool, calm, a bit of a lone wolf. Friendly, but not part of the off-table pack, almost like the Filipino Fonz on the tournament trail.
Some careers really do take the scenic route.
I was able to snap a photo of Buddy Hall and Marlon at the IPT King of the Hill.
Here he is at a Joss event in Turning Stone with Keith.
I think he won some Philippine open. Strung 11 at some point. May have been the finals too.
Looking at last year's field compared to this one, got to wonder if this event is sustainable. Especially once Fleming is no longer able to run it.
As some have pointed out, the pro schedule was really busy the last few months. Many top players were traveling for up to two months in Asia and the Middle East ahead of the International. So a lot of them were worn out and tired.
The schedule is only going to get busier. Matchroom and Predator say they will have even more events next year. So some independents might start to get squeezed out.
One thing that came up during a recent broadcast of a women's match was the high and rising cost of travel and lodging. Airfare especially. That would be a big deterrent, especially for Asia players coming to a one-off tourney in the U.S. at the end of the year. I think I heard Gorst say getting to the International is a bit of a pain, too.
As some have pointed out, the pro schedule was really busy the last few months. Many top players were traveling for up to two months in Asia and the Middle East ahead of the International. So a lot of them were worn out and tired.
The schedule is only going to get busier. Matchroom and Predator say they will have even more events next year. So some independents might start to get squeezed out.
One thing that came up during a recent broadcast of a women's match was the high and rising cost of travel and lodging. Airfare especially. That would be a big deterrent, especially for Asia players coming to a one-off tourney in the U.S. at the end of the year. I think I heard Gorst say getting to the International is a bit of a pain, too.
From southern Indiana? How so?
It's not at all inconvenient for him, so hope he wasn't complaining (I'm assuming he wasn't) - foreign folks? - no different than going to an international event anywhere else whether here to there or there to here - travel and time will always be big factors for sure, but not unique to this event.
