15th China Open 9-Ball Championship returns to Shanghai: Over $350k prize fund and a field of champions reshapes the WPA landscape

The 15th China Open 9-Ball Championship returns to Shanghai's Tangzhen Cultural and Sports Centre from September 9 to 13. The tournament carries more than $350,000 in total prize money and a hybrid format that blends double elimination with single elimination, under standard WPA rules including the three-point rule. Men's defending champion Wojciech Szewczyk, currently world number one, leads a strong field that includes three-time winner Joshua Filler, two-time world champion Albin Ouschan, and fresh US Open champion Francisco Sanchez Ruiz. Women's defending champion Chihiro Kawahara will face reigning world champion Seo Seoa and world number one Wei Tzu-Chien. The men's bracket uses double-elimination race-to-9 until 32 players remain, then switches to single-elimination race-to-11. Women play race-to-7 in double elimination until 16 players remain, then race-to-9. This reduces early randomness but still requires long-format consistency. Chinese players Dang Jinhu, Liu Shasha and Fu Xiaofang will compete on home soil, supported by a Shanghai venue and broadcast on Chinese platforms along with Kozoom Pool YouTube. The format, prize fund and WPA governance make this event a key stop on the professional 9-ball calendar, generating both competitive and commercial value.