Matt Edwards (pool player)

Matt Edwards (born 17 November 1987 in Auckland, New Zealand) is a New Zealand player of pool.[1] Edwards is from Kaiapoi, North Canterbury. He started playing Pool at the age of 12.[2]

Matthew Edwards
Born (1987-11-17) 17 November 1987
Auckland, New Zealand
Sport country New Zealand
Pool gamesnine-ball, eight-ball, ten-ball

He is considered New Zealand’s greatest ever pool player, being a record twenty times New Zealand pool champion.[3] In 2019 he became the first ever New Zealander to be invited to play in the 24 player invitational World Pool Masters held in Gibraltar where he made it to the quarter-finals.[4][5]

Career

Edwards made his World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) debut in 2012 with the 2012 WPA World Nine-ball Championship the first New Zealander to qualify in the World Championship. At the event, Edwards defeated American Shane Van Boening 9–7 after trailing 1–5. He lost in the last-32 to the eventual winner Darren Appleton 11–10.[6][7][8]

In 2016, Edwards competed in the All Japan Championship where he defeated Chang Jung-lin 9–7 who was the WPA world number one at the time.[9] He finished the event in ninth place.[10]

Edwards was the first New Zealander to play in the 2017 World Games. At the championship, held in Poland, he defeated Russia's Ruslan Chinakhov 11–10 in the last-16. He finished 5th place losing to Jayson Shaw in the quarter finals 5–11.[11][12]

In 2019 Edwards was selected to play in the 2019 World Pool Masters. In the first session Edwards defeated Chris Melling 7–3, the two players had never met in competition prior to this.[13] In the second session Edwards defeated the European Pool Championships nine-ball winner Konrad Juszczyszyn 7–6. The match saw the players share the first six racks, at 3–3, before Juszczysyn took three racks to lead 6–3. Edwards then took the remaining four racks to win the match. He finished fifth place losing to Alexander Kazakis in the quarter-finals.[14]

Championships and accomplishments
  • New Zealand National Championships[1]
    • Eight-ball (2015, 2016, 2019, 2020)
    • Nine-ball (2015, 2016, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021)
    • Ten-ball (2014, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021)
  • New Zealand Open
    • Nine-ball (2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2021)

Controversy

Matthew Edwards was suspected of dishonesty charges in October 2022. [15] Edwards always claimed he was innocent of any wrongdoings. In April 2023 all charges were dropped.[16]

References
  1. "Matt Edwards – Cuescore Profile". cuescore.com. Archived from the original on 30 October 2019. Retrieved 30 October 2019.
  2. "Inside NZ Pool: Episode 3 (Matt Edwards)". Podomatic. Archived from the original on 3 November 2019. Retrieved 3 November 2019.
  3. "NZPA – Title Holders". nzpa.org. Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  4. "World Pool Masters". www.facebook.com. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  5. "First Māori to go to World Pool Masters". Māori Television. Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  6. "THE DRAMA OF 9-BALL". WPA Pool. 26 June 2012. Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  7. "IT'S DYANMITE IN DOHA!". WPA Pool. 30 June 2012. Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  8. "NEW TALENTS, OLD HANDS SHINE IN DOHA". WPA Pool. 24 June 2012. Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  9. 2016 All Japan Championship Matthew Edwards vs Chang Jung-Lin, archived from the original on 4 November 2019, retrieved 21 December 2019
  10. "Matthew Edwards". Billiard Walker. Retrieved 22 December 2019.
  11. "2017 World Games – Day 2 Review". thecueview.com. Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  12. Pool Men 1/4 Final : Jayson Shaw vs Matt Edwards, retrieved 4 November 2019
  13. "Māori pool master excited to take on the world's best". Māori Television. Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  14. "Edwards fights back to reach quarter-finals at World Pool Masters". Māori Television. Archived from the original on 4 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  15. "Pool champ and pokies boss on dishonesty charges after major investigation". Stuff NZ. Archived from the original on 2 August 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
  16. Kilgallon, Steve (30 April 2023). "New Zealand's top pool player says he's vindicated as charges dropped". Stuff.
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