2002 WPA World 9-Ball Championship

Results

Recap

Published April 13, 2026

Earl "The Pearl" Strickland won his third WPA World Nine-Ball Championship title at Cardiff's International Arena, defeating Filipino player Francisco Bustamante 17-15. The American's victory came a decade after his back-to-back championship wins in 1990 and 1991.

The tournament format featured 128 players divided into 16 round-robin groups. Only the top four from each group advanced to single-elimination play. Strickland progressed through the bracket to reach the final.

Defending champion Mika Immonen of Finland was eliminated in the round of 64 by Shannon Daulton, opening the field for other contenders. Strickland advanced through multiple rounds to reach the championship match.

In the final, Strickland and Bustamante competed in a race-to-17 format. Both players demonstrated skilled shot-making and defensive play throughout the match. Strickland won the final and earned the $65,000 winner's prize.

This Cardiff victory proved to be Strickland's final world championship. The win solidified his status as one of the sport's greatest nine-ball players. Bustamante finished as runner-up in the championship.

Sources: 2002 WPA World Nine-ball Championship – Wikipedia, Earl Strickland – Wikipedia, Earl Strickland Playing in W8BC – WPA Pool

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