2021 U.S. Open Pool Championship

The U.S. Open Pool Championship is a nine-ball pool tournament first held in 1976, won by Mike Sigel.[4] It is pool's longest running major title.[5] The 2021 tournament was played at Harrah’s Resort in Atlantic City from September 13–18, 2021.[5] It used a double-elimination bracket, with matches held as a race to 9 racks, until the last 16. At that point it became a single-elimination tournament, as a race to 11 racks. The final was a race to 13 racks.[6][7] Joshua Filler was the defending champion, having won the 2019 event, with the 2020 event having been cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8][9] Organized by Matchroom Sport, the event featured 256 participants playing on 33 tables,[5] with entries to the event costing $750.[6] The tournament was filled within 10 hours of signups opening.[10] The event was broadcast on DAZN in the US and Canada as well as Germany, Spain and Italy; Sky Sports in the UK & Ireland; Viaplay in Scandinavia, Baltic Nations and Iceland); Zhibo.tv in China; and SuperSports in South Africa and Sub Saharan Africa.[2]

The double-elimination round was played from 13 to 17 September. The 2019 World Snooker Championship winner Judd Trump competed in his first pool event.[12][13] He completed a 9–0 whitewash over Joe Magee in his first competitive match,[14] followed by victories over Dhurav Patel 9–2 and Abdullah Al-Shammari 11–5.[15][16][17] In the winners' third round, Trump met 2017 U.S. Open Pool Championship winner Jayson Shaw, who had defeated Hsieh Chia Chen in the prior round 11–10.[17] Shaw fluked the opening rack, and won ten of the next eleven to win 11–1.[18] Trump then lost 10–11 to Jason Theron in the losers' bracket to exit the tournament.[19]

Defending champion Filler defeated Joseph Blyler 9–2, with his opponent applauding some of Filler's shots.[20] Filler was then tied at 8–8 with Sanjin Pehlivanović, with his opponent missing a six-ball, allowing Filler to win the next three racks. However, Filler lost his third winners' round match to Aloysius Yapp 11–3.[17]

The 2021 WPA World Nine-ball Championship winner Albin Ouschan completed a whitewash over Scott Haas on the first day, and progressed to the winners' qualifying round against Alexander Kazakis.[20][17] Five-time winner Earl Strickland completed a 9–1 victory over Adam Martin, but lost to Alan Rosado in the losers bracket.[20][17]