Eklent Kaçi
Eklent Kaçi (born January 29, 1999), also known as Klenti Kaçi is an Albanian professional pool player. Kaçi won the WPA World Ten-ball Championship in 2021 and 2023 and reached the semi-finals of the 2017 WPA World Nine-ball Championship. He has been the top-ranked player in the world of 9-ball pool.[1]
| Born | 29 January 1999 Laç, Albania |
|---|---|
| Sport country | Albania |
| Best finish | Semi finals 2017 WPA World Nine-ball Championship |
| Tournament wins | |
| World Champion | Ten-ball (2021, 2023) |
Career edit
Kaçi started playing pool at the age of eight.[2] He has won the Albanian Snooker championships in addition to national pool championships, even though he never played snooker prior to his Federation asking him to join the event.[citation needed] Kaçi made his first European championship in 2013, for ten-ball, qualifying for the main knockout, and being eliminated in the round of 64.[3] In 2017, Kaçi made the semi-finals of the 2017 WPA World Nine-ball Championship, losing 11–6 to Roland Garcia.[4]
The following year, at 18 years of age, Kaçi won the Aramith Masters,[5] and became world number one later that year.[6] At the 2018 WPA World Nine-ball Championship, Kaçi (as world number 1), lost to 17-year-old Robbie Capito 11–10 in the last 32.[7] Kaçi won two events on the Euro Tour, reaching Euro Tour number one in 2018. He won the 2018 Treviso Open, and the following season the 2019 Austria Open.
Career titles edit
- U.K. Open 9-Ball Championship (2023)
- World Championships
- WPA World Ten-ball Championship (2021, 2023)
- Mosconi Cup (2020, 2021)
- American Straight Pool Championship (2018)[8]
- Pro Billiard Series
- Austria Open (2021)
- World Pool Series
- Aramith Masters (2017)[5]
- Predator Grand Finale (2017)
- European Pool Championship
- Eight-Ball (2019)
- Euro Tour
- Treviso Open (2018)
- Austria Open (2019)
- Albanian Amateur Snooker Championship (2016, 2018, 2021)
References edit
- ^ "Ranking - WPA Pool". WPA Pool. from the original on December 16, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ "Klenti Kaci". worldpoolseries.com. Retrieved December 19, 2018.[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Eklent Kaçi, argjend dhe bronz në Europian". panorama.com.al (in Albanian). from the original on May 23, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ "FOUR LEFT TO GO FOR WORLD 9-BALL CROWN ON THURSDAY – WPA Pool". WPA Pool. from the original on April 23, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ a b "Klenti Has Plenty To Celebrate – World Pool Series". worldpoolseries.com. from the original on July 9, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ . worldpoolseries.com. Archived from the original on December 19, 2018. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ "17 Year Old Hong Kong Native Capito Stuns Kaci To Reach Final 16". azbilliards.com. Retrieved December 19, 2018.
- ^ "2018 American 14.1 Straight Pool Championship Final". Facebook. Highrockstore.com. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
External links edit
- Eklent Kaçi at AZBilliards