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Looking at the draw, there are groups that have caught our eye.
All four of them, of course.
The 32 players were all brought together for this tournament by invitation.
Players who give themselves to 14.1, straight pool, day in and day out, and who have built up experience in all kinds of ways.
And that is why, now that the draw is set, the shape of the matchups comes into view.
Group 1. We want to watch Lo’s average.
Group 1 includes Lo Li-wen.
Five-time champion of the All Japan 14.1 Open Championship.
High run: 313.
Anyone who loves 14.1 will be curious about one number.
“What average will Lo post at this tournament?”
It isn’t only about wins and losses.
Across all his matches, what runs will he string together, and what numbers will he leave behind?
This time, stats for every match will be published and updated throughout the tournament.
That is why we want to watch the average Lo leaves behind, too.
Also in this group: Shinji Mizutani, the man who started this tournament.
And proven players, among them Masaki Yonezawa and Shinya Goto.
Over seven matches, what numbers will line up?
You won’t be able to take your eyes off Group 1.
What will Goto show in 14.1?
Group 1 also includes Shinya Goto.
An SA class player with a 9-ball title to his name.
Almost everyone in this field plays 14.1 regularly.
Among them, what kind of game will Goto build in 14.1?
How will the feel for the game he has honed in 9-ball show itself on a 14.1 table?
How do you build a long run?
How do you take a rack apart?
Where will he attack, and where will he switch to safety?
Change the game, and the same strength shows itself in a different way.
Goto’s 14.1 is one to watch, too.
Group 2. Matsuno, Izumi, Nagase.
Group 2 has Takeaki Matsuno, a pro.
And Satoru Izumi, who takes on all kinds of games with enthusiasm.
Takashi Nagase, of SA class.
Players with very different experience, gathered together.
So rather than watching any one player at the center,
“Over these seven matches, who will show what kind of 14.1?”
That is what we want to watch in this group.
In a short game, a race to 50, track record and class alone can’t tell you how it will unfold.
The judgment in each match.
A single run.
And the moment to choose a safety.
Over seven matches, how will the standings fall?
We’re greatly looking forward to Group 2 as well.
Group 3. Iima vs. Nakazawa.
And then, Group 3.
Here, one of the most electric matchups of all takes shape.
Tomoya Iima, pro: back-to-back Japan Open champion.
A force from Kansai who says it openly: “14.1 is all of pocket billiards.”
Kunihiko Nakazawa: three-time best amateur at the All Japan 14.1 Championship.
A player who has given himself to 14.1, seriously, for years.
You could see it as “pro vs. amateur.”
But the meeting of these two is more than that.
Both have built their records in 14.1.
And the two of them face each other in a short game, a race to 50.
Who will stretch out a run first?
Take the initiative, or wait for the other to miss?
And who will seize the momentum first?
Over a distance of 50 points, a single turn at the table carries great weight.
How will Sakata cut in?
And Group 3 also has Yuki Sakata.
A former pro.
Now an amateur, still playing with energy and drive.
In the same group as Iima and Nakazawa, two players with records in 14.1.
The spotlight may fall on those two.
That is exactly why it’s so interesting to see how Sakata cuts into this group.
How will the matches among these three move the standings in Group 3?
Because it is a short race to 50, there is room for the unexpected.
You won’t be able to look away from Group 3 until the very end.
Group 4. With Inami at the center, how will it unfold?
Group 4 has Atsushi Inami, a pro.
And Atsushi Yagi, who plays with the Kyoto 14.1 Study Group.
Tanaka, who plays with the POOL LABO 14.1 Club.
Of course, this group too is full of strong players.
Because this tournament is an invitational,
“Who knows 14.1?”
is not the question.
“Under these conditions, who will express their own 14.1, and how?”
That is where the interest lies.
With Inami at the center, what battle for the standings will emerge over seven matches?
Group 4 is one to watch, too.
Track record alone won’t decide it.
Class alone won’t decide it.
And names alone won’t tell you.
These 32 are players who have each given themselves to 14.1.
That is why, now that the draw is set, what comes into view is not only “who is strong.”
Who meets whom.
What judgments they make.
All of that, added up, decides the final standings.
In a short game of 50 points, who will stay true to their own 14.1?
And when seven matches are done, which eight will go on to the final bracket?
Over seven matches, what numbers will remain?
What drama will unfold?
Please come to the venue and see those moments for yourself.
Watching is free.
👉 Tournament details & draw
👉 Player stats