CARLO Biado inched closer to the knockout stage of the Las Vegas Open after back-to-back wins on opening day, Thursday, Feb. 19, 2026 (PH time).
The BCA Hall of Famer scored straight-set wins over Americans Bei Madeja 4-3, 4-0 and Michael Yednak 4-1, 4-2.
Biado, a finalist in 2024, will next play against USA’s Chris Robinson-Reinhold for an automatic passage to the Last 32 of this Pro Billiard Series event.
Fellow Filipino campaigners Lee Van Corteza, Jeffrey De Luna, Roland Garcia, and Joven Bustamante also recorded two straight wins to get closer to the knockout round.
Roberto Gomez, Mark Estiola, Miguel Salvilla, Jeff Roda, and Rodlin Bautista, on the other hand, dropped to the losers’ bracket.
Premier League Pool
Over at the 2026 Premier League Pool in Miami, AJ Manas struggled on Day 1 of the $100,000 World Nineball Tour tournament, posting two wins and three losses on Thursday.
The Filipino teen pool star started strong with a 5-1 win over Thorsten Hohmann of Germany, but absorbed losses against American Justin Bergman (3-5), Hong Kong’s Robbie Capito (3-5), and Albania’s Eklent Kaci (4-5). He ended the day with a 5-4 win over Venezuelan Jesus Atencio.
This innovative league format brings together 16 of the world’s elite World Nineball Tour players, who will battle across five days of world-class action.
Each player will face every other competitor once in a fast-paced race-to-5 format that puts strategy, stamina, and consistency to the test.
Players will be eliminated in stages throughout the week before the top four advance to the climactic playoffs, where they will fight for the 2026 Premier League Pool title. / SPORTS RADIO 918