It was a battle of kings—one fiercely defending his crown, the other clawing back toward lost glory. Under the lights of the Green Halls in Jeddah, the 2025 World Pool Championship final unfolded like a timeless epic.
In a match where momentum shifted like desert winds, the clash between Carlo Biado and Fedor Gorst was nothing short of electrifying.
When the dust settled, it was Biado—the Filipino master cue artist—who stood tall, cue held aloft, as the new World Champion. In doing so, he carved his name deeper into pool history, becoming the first Filipino to win two WPA World Nine-ball Championship titles.
Alongside the coveted trophy, Biado pocketed a handsome $250,000 slice of the tournament’s staggering $1 million prize pool. But for Biado, it was more than riches. It was redemption. It was legacy.
Coming in as the defending champion, Russia’s Gorst was the odds-on favorite. He wasted no time asserting control, storming to a 2–0 lead. But Biado, ever the fighter, steadied himself and retaliated with a fiery run—nine straight rack—to surge ahead 9–2.
Still, the ice-veined Gorst wasn’t done. In a masterclass of resilience, he clawed back into the match, knotting it at 9–9. It became a breathtaking exchange of skill and nerve.
Every rack told a story. Every shot pulsed with tension.
Biado strung together four more games in response. Yet once again, Gorst dug deep, leveling the score at 13 apiece. With the title hanging in the balance and both champions unwilling to blink, the final stretch became a crucible of precision and poise.
Then came Biado’s final flourish. A sequence of gutsy shots and steely table control turned the tide. As the final nine-ball dropped, Biado erupted in celebration, serenaded by the unmistakable beat of the Black Eyed Peas’ “Bebot” echoing through the arena. “Filipino! Filipino!” the anthem rang—a national roar embodied in one man’s triumph.
Biado’s path to glory was paved with brilliance. In the semifinals, he blitzed past 20-year-old phenom Bernie Regalario—another Filipino on the rise. Launching into an early six-rack lead, Biado displayed a cocktail of tactical dominance and strategic luck.
Regalario fought valiantly, capitalizing on brief Biado errors to narrow the margin, but the veteran’s control of the table proved insurmountable.
Held under the patronage of the Saudi Arabian Ministry of Sport and in partnership with the Saudi Arabia Billiard & Snooker Federation, the 2025 World Pool Championship reaffirmed its place as the crown jewel of the World Nineball Tour. From July 21 to 26, the Green Halls in Jeddah became the heart of the pool world, drawing fans and champions from across the globe.
