2001 WPA World 9-Ball Championship

Results

Recap

Published April 13, 2026

The 2001 WPA World 9-Ball Championship in Cardiff, Wales took place from July 14-22, with Finland’s Mika Immonen winning his first world title. Immonen competed against 128 players in the tournament and claimed the sport’s most prestigious prize, earning $65,000.

The tournament used a format where 128 players competed in round-robin groups before advancing to knockout rounds. The top four finishers from each of the 16 groups advanced to the single-elimination phase. Immonen had relocated to New York City the previous year to pursue his professional career and advanced through the competition with strong performances.

In the final, Immonen faced Germany’s Ralf Souquet and won 17-10. Earlier that year, Immonen had finished as runner-up to Corey Deuel at the US Open 9-Ball Championship.

This victory established Immonen as a leading player in European pool during an era when American players had dominated the sport. Born in London but raised in Finland after transitioning from snooker in the early 1990s, Immonen developed an attacking style of play. The Cardiff title launched a successful career that included 15 Mosconi Cup appearances for Team Europe and US Open titles in 2008 and 2009.

For Souquet, the final represented a missed opportunity to claim his first world championship. The 2001 championship marked the emergence of European players as serious contenders in professional pool.

Sources: 2001 WPA World Nine-ball Championship – Wikipedia, Mika Immonen – Wikipedia, WPA Mourns the Passing of Mika Immonen – WPA Pool

This recap was compiled from public tournament records and tournament organizer communications. ForceFollow is not affiliated with the tournament organizer.