Johann Chua saw his title bid crushed by Fedor Gorst after taking an 11-7 defeat in the semifinals of the 2025 US Open Pool Championship on Saturday (Sunday Philippine time) in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

After winning two of the first three racks, Chua found himself searching for answers after Gorst, champion of last year’s edition, went on a furious charge that ended any hopes of him advancing to the final.

READ: Lone Filipino left, Johann Chua enters US Open Pool semifinals

The loss left Chua to settle for a $25,000 (P1.41 million) purse as the closest among the Filipino contingent to bag one of 9-ball’s most prestigious tournaments.

Singapore’s Aloysius Yapp went on to capture the title after preventing Gorst from ruling the event for the second straight time, 13-11.

Chua never lost prior to his semifinal exit, posting victories over American Floro Ritarita, 9-5, The Netherlands’ Quinten Pongers, 9-7, and compatriot Roland Garcia, 9-7, in the first stage.

He eliminated Germany’s Thorsten Hohmann, 10-9, in the round-of-64, defeated Greece’s Alexander Kazakis, 10-6, in the round-of-32 and beat Serbia’s Aleksa Pecelj, 10-7, in the last 16.

The 33-year-old cue artist nicknamed “Bad Koi” made it to the Final Four by dominating the Netherlands’ Niels Feijen, 10-2.

Only two Filipinos have won the US Open, namely Efren “Bata” Reyes back in 1994 and Carlo Biado in 2021.