From an unexpectedly deep run to world champion! "F1" defeated "Ronnie" to win the 2026 World Open.
After “F1” Thepchaiya Un-Nooh shocked everyone in the semifinals by defeating world number one Judd Trump 6-4 frames, he reached the final for the first time in six years.
Along with a humorous story about having to wash his own pants in the sink due to the unexpectedly long wait, before facing Ronnie O'Sullivan, world number 12 from England, at the 2026 World Open in Wuxi, China.
F1 Thepchaiya Un-Nooh and Ronnie O'Sullivan had met three times before, with F1 winning once and Ronnie winning twice.
In the first session of nine frames, F1, ranked 39th in the world, trailed 0-4 with frame scores of 78-0, 70-40, 129-0, and 65-56, before rallying to win five consecutive frames 83-6, 77-1, 66-52, 82-1, and 128-6.
This comeback put F1 ahead of Ronnie O'Sullivan, the legendary English player ranked 12th in the world, 5-4 in the 2026 World Open held in Wuxi, China.
In the deciding session, F1 immediately took the first frame to lead 6-4. Although Ronnie responded with two frames to tie 6-6, F1 maintained composure and superior accuracy to win 10-7 frames, also recording his 7th career maximum break.
He claimed the 2026 World Open title along with a prize of £175,000, approximately 7.6 million baht, moved into the top 12 in the rankings, and earned the right to compete in the major event, the 2026 Tour Championship in Manchester, from 30 March to 5 April.