By MARK REY MONTEJO
Jeffrey Ignacio outclassed Sean Mark Malayan, 13-1, in an all-Filipino title duel to rule the World Nine-ball Tour (WNT) crown in the 2026 TAOM Arena Open in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia recently.
The 33-year-old Ignacio delighted the crowd with his near-flawless performance to capture his first major title worth $10,000 (roughly P617,135).
“Thank God that he guided me all throughout this event. Naramdaman ko na yun simula nung makalusot ako sa hill-hill match ko with my fellow Pinoy player,” said Ignacio. “At sa mga sponsors ko na walang sawa at di napapagod.”
“Sinwerte na naman po tayong makasungkit ng tropeyo! And lastly sa na katunggali ko sa finals Sean Mark Malayan napakaganda rin ng pinakita mo hanggang finals…congrats bro!” he added.
Malayan, for his part, pocketed the runner-up’s prize of $4,500 (P277,710) in the first-ever WNT meet in Malaysia.
In advancing to the final, the Las Piñas native beat Taiwanese Liu Ri Teng, 11-7, in semis, a fitting follow-up to his 10-3 win over Indonesian Ponco Klinton Manurung in the quarters. He also beat Filipino John Vincent Vicedo, 9–3, in the earlier round.
The event also lured top Filipino players, among them world champion Carlo Biado and rising star AJ Manas.
