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A Vietnamese player secured a victory at the European Open Pool Championship with an unconventional four-rail shot on the 9-ball, sparking debate about whether the move was disrespectful to his opponent.
Bui Truong An made the move on March 11 to seal a 9-3 victory over Zeljko Skoric.
An led Skoric 8-3 in their first-round match. In the 12th rack, the Bosnian player had a chance to clear the table but fouled, handing control to the Vietnamese cueist. Instead of repositioning the cue ball, An took the shot from where Skoric left it and sank the 6-ball. He then faced an easy shot on the 9-ball but chose to send it off four rails before sinking it.
His shot, often referred to as a trick shot, is usually only seen in exhibition matches. The Filipino legend Efren Reyes popularized such shots, and many top players can make similar four-rail shots in the right conditions.
Matchroom Pool, a sporting event promotions company, praised An’s shot as unbelievable and stunning.
Bui Truong An makes the trick shot against Zeljko Skoric at the European Open, March 11, 2025.
However, some players and fans saw it as disrespectful.
Bulgarian player Kalin Stefanov wrote on Facebook, "This is a joke. Truong An deserves a penalty for the disrespect."
A Thai fan nicknamed James Ang shared the opinion, saying, "Truong An showed no respect to his opponent Skoric."
Spanish player Manuel Uria Campos added: "I don’t like these trick shots. If it was a casual game and he (Truong An) played it, fine. But in a large tournament like the European Open Pool Championship, the shot feels disrespectful. I wouldn’t do this against a strong opponent or without a big lead."
Many others disagreed. On Reddit, user Willing_Ad_9990 wrote, "This isn't a trick shot. It's a standard four-rail shot. Nothing disrespectful about it."
User tgoynes83 added, "I wouldn't even call this a trick shot, especially given how well-positioned the balls were. The 9-ball was 80% likely to drop." Another user, billiardstourist, commented, "The moment I saw the balls' positions, I expected Truong An to make the four-rail shot. Given his winning score, making this play isn't a big deal."
An, 29, is ranked No. 91 in the World Nineball Tour (WNT) and is Vietnam's fourth-ranked player behind Duong Quoc Hoang, Luong Duc Thien, and Nguyen Anh Tuan. He is one of seven Vietnamese players in the European Open Pool Championship, a top-tier WNT tournament with a $200,000 prize pool, held in Sarajevo, Bosnia & Herzegovina, from March 11 to March 16, 2025.
After the championship ends, An and Hoang will stay in Sarajevo for the Premier League Pool.
