2018 WPA World 9-Ball Championship

Results

Recap

Published April 13, 2026

In Doha, Qatar, 21-year-old German Joshua Filler won the World 9-Ball Championship, defeating defending champion Carlo Biado 13-10 at the Al-Arabi Sports Club on December 20, 2018.

The victory came one day after Filler's first wedding anniversary with his wife Pia. Filler, known as The Killer from Bönen, had already made his mark on professional pool. In 2017, he became the youngest player to win the China Open and earned Mosconi Cup MVP honors representing Europe.

Biado entered the final as the defending champion, seeking to become the first player since Earl Strickland in 1991 to win back-to-back world 9-ball titles. The Filipino veteran reached the final after defeating American star Shane Van Boening in the semifinal. The match remained competitive throughout, with the lead exchanging between the two players in front of several hundred fans.

Filler pulled away in the final quarter to secure the victory. The tournament featured 128 players from over 40 countries, who were initially divided into 16 groups before advancing to the knockout stages.

At age 21, Filler had claimed pool's biggest prize. This victory marked the beginning of sustained success, as Filler would reach world number one the following year and establish himself as a dominant force on the international stage. Doha hosted the World 9-Ball Championship for the eighth consecutive time.

Sources: 2018 WPA World Nine-ball Championship – Wikipedia, Joshua Filler – Wikipedia, WPA Pool

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