Szewczyk seals second World 10-Ball Championship with ruthless campaign in Ho Chi Minh City

When the final 10-ball dropped, Wojciech Szewczyk slumped over the table, trying to hide his tears. Four years after his first world title, the Polish player reached the summit of 10-Ball again. He defeated Eklent Kaci in the World 10-Ball Championship final in Ho Chi Minh City by 3 sets to 1, with set scores of 4-1, 1-4, 4-2 and 4-3. The victory gave him a second world title and completed a campaign described as ruthless, because he never needed a deciding set. The tournament was held in Ho Chi Minh City, described by the report as the Saigon campaign. The World 10-Ball Championship is one of the most prestigious titles in professional pool, with the champion receiving 80,000 USD. The format is distinctive: every set is a race to four racks, and the match is the best of five sets. This creates many breaks and helps players stay stable rather than relying on one long run. The event featured a double-elimination phase before moving to a single-elimination knockout stage from the last 16. Kaci reached the final as the reigning champion from 2026 and 2026. His route was longer than Szewczyk's, featuring five consecutive comeback wins and three deciding sets. Another player, Pehlivanovic, spent about nine hours playing on Friday, raising questions about fatigue in the later rounds. Kaci showed remarkable mental strength, but the physical workload before the final was a possible tactical factor. Szewczyk is not a flashy player. He wins through solid safety play and tactical exchanges. The report highlighted his high-level safety game and victories in defensive battles. In 10-Ball, every shot must call the ball and pocket before being played. Therefore, safety play matters far more than in 9-Ball, where lucky shots can still count. Szewczyk used this rule to smother opponents who had no direct attacking line. Still, not everything was perfect. In the final set, Szewczyk had a dry break, meaning no ball was potted, and his opponent used that chance to change the momentum. He also misplayed a 2-6-7 combination late, but Kaci failed to punish him. The best attacking highlight was a spectacular cut shot on the one-ball with the jump cue, opening a difficult table after the break. That moment showed elite escape skills, a quality rarely discussed but often decisive. The set format gave a clear advantage to safety specialists. Instead of one long match, the event split play into small sets, each requiring only four racks. This allowed a control player like Szewczyk to correct mistakes quickly after losing a set. He lost the second set 1-4, then answered with 4-2 and 4-3 wins. Never being forced to a deciding set during the whole tournament was the strongest sign of his control in key racks. Szewczyk is not a player who appears every day on newspaper covers. He won his first world title about four years ago, beating Cristopher Tevez. Since then, he has reached the last 16 in four of the last five World 10-Ball events. That means he has a stable foundation, not just a one-off explosion. With two titles, he is level with Kaci and Ko Ping-Chung, two of the biggest names in modern pool. On results alone, Szewczyk belongs in the elite group. The media, however, has not caught up with his career. The report used words like surprise for his first title, but admitted that this one was certainly no surprise. That difference reflects the journey from emerging player to established champion. While Josh Filler and Kaci attract more attention, Szewczyk remains underrated compared to his record. World 10-Ball is a multi-polar landscape. Europe holds the sharp edge: both finalists were European, while players like Filler, Feijen, Sanchez-Ruiz, Szolnoki and Pehlivanovic reached deep rounds. Asia is not far behind in depth: Ko Ping-Chung, Hijikata, Chua and Duong Quoc Hoang, the hometown hope, all showed the strength of local training systems. Asia's main strength, however, lies in the market and commercial stage, since the biggest event was held in Vietnam. Duong Quoc Hoang's international stage appearance was more than an emotional story. It reflected Vietnam's emergence as a pool event hub. With a huge playing community and a culture of billiards in almost every city, hosting a world championship places Vietnam at the commercial center of the sport. That also explains why the champion was described as having a ruthless campaign in Saigon, a strong media message for the Asian market. The contrarian view is that Szewczyk's victory may not come from overwhelming attacking power, but from error management. In the final, Kaci had three dry breaks in the third set and some uncharacteristic mistakes. Szewczyk did not produce too many highlights, but he made fewer mistakes in decisive racks. In a format where each set lasts only four racks, the value of every rack multiplies and a single failed break can turn the match. This title was therefore closer to a victory of discipline than a show of genius. The lineage of the event should also be noted. In pool, the world champion title can belong to different governing systems run by different federations or promoters. The original article did not name the sanctioning body, and the years of the titles need verification before comparing with Kaci or Ko Ping-Chung. This is not a knock on Szewczyk's achievement, but a reminder that every world title in pool must be linked to its organizational context. A structural positive is that 10-Ball's call-shot rule makes results more trustworthy. In 9-Ball, a lucky shot may still count if nobody notices in time. In 10-Ball, the player must announce the ball and pocket, leaving less room for lucky outcomes to change the match. That matters for anyone evaluating the sport's competitive integrity. A final full of tactical battles and few gifts from opponent errors was clear evidence. Szewczyk's second title arrives as the pool market shifts strongly to Southeast Asia. He is the model of a player valued below his true market price: two titles, four last-16 appearances in five years, but less recognized than his peers. Over the next one to three months, if media and sponsors catch up with his story, his commercial value could rise quickly. For Vietnam, hosting a world championship in Ho Chi Minh City is a signal for investment in infrastructure, media and youth training. The fourth set began with Kaci leading 2-0. Szewczyk was under pressure but stayed calm. He won four straight racks to close the set 4-3. His dry break late in the set could have been the turning point, but Kaci missed the three-ball and gave the chance back. That moment showed that a world final is not only about technique but also about handling moments of tension. Szewczyk did not create a huge shock, yet he used every small mistake from his opponent. The most impressive part of Szewczyk's campaign was consistency. In knockout rounds, many young players can explode in one match then collapse in the next. Szewczyk never allowed an opponent to drag him to a deciding set. He always won the important set before the match reached the lifeline. In a single-elimination event, ending matches early is a major tactical asset. Szewczyk's tears after the win showed he did not take this title for granted. Four years without a major title is a long time for an athlete, and doubts must have appeared. Returning with a campaign without a deciding set reflects psychological maturity. Some champions lose motivation after their first title, but his performance in Ho Chi Minh City proved his motivation was intact. Billards worldwide is seeing stronger investment in Asia. Hosting the World 10-Ball event in Ho Chi Minh City was not random. Vietnam has a very large billiards community, from casual players to professional clubs. International events improve hosting standards, attract sports tourism and generate media value. This is similar to how Middle Eastern countries promote snooker, but with a more community-based environment. The 80,000 USD champion prize is significant in pool but still much lower than snooker's major titles. That creates differences in talent flows and media coverage. While snooker is centered in Britain and Europe, pool is growing in Asia thanks to lower equipment costs and easy access. Players like Szewczyk can earn a good living, but their income still depends heavily on sponsorship and exhibition events. The biggest blind spot is break strength. In 10-Ball, a good break opens the table and creates immediate run-out chances. Szewczyk had difficult moments, notably a dry break in the final set. Against an opponent with a stronger and more consistent break, his defensive edge could be neutralized. This campaign showed he can win a title even with an imperfect break, but that does not mean the problem is gone. Szewczyk has a strong commercial story: a two-time world champion, quiet, disciplined and effective. Pool equipment brands often spend money on recognizable faces, but results matter even more. With pool growing in Europe and Asia, an under-noticed Polish champion could become an undervalued advertising asset. The fact that sponsors have not crowded around him after two titles is a paradox worth watching. The current generation of 10-Ball is among the deepest ever. Josh Filler, Eklent Kaci, Ko Ping-Chung and many others can win any tournament on a good day. Szewczyk separates himself from this group through consistency over many seasons, not through highlight shots. In the World 10-Ball event, reaching the last 16 four times in five years sets a very high floor. That is something single titles cannot fully reflect. The data from the original report is limited. There is no break-success percentage, win-rate when serving, or defensive-success rate. Therefore, comments on Szewczyk's style should be read as qualitative analysis. To confirm whether he is the best defensive player in the world, one needs deeper statistics from specialized tracking sites. This is an important note for readers who want to quantify the debate. For Vietnamese fans, Szewczyk's title does not directly involve a local player. But the fact that the event was held in Ho Chi Minh City and Duong Quoc Hoang appeared as the host hero is positive. Vietnam's billiards system needs international events to give young players a benchmark against the world. A generation that watches finals like this one will understand that the top of pool is not out of reach. With two titles, Szewczyk is no longer a phenomenon. He is a genuine champion in a highly competitive era. The final against Kaci, considered one of the best players of the decade, delivered 80,000 USD and established a standard for safety play in 10-Ball. As pool shifts to Southeast Asia, Szewczyk's story will be a reference for young players: you do not need to be the most famous star to become a champion. The moments before the final showed Szewczyk's flexibility. Sometimes he deliberately moved play toward safety to break the opponent's rhythm; other times he accelerated with quick run-outs. That flexibility came from years of international experience. The biggest lesson of set-format tournaments is that one plan is never enough; you need multiple scenarios for different table situations. At the age of a billiards player entering his prime, Szewczyk still has many years ahead. If he keeps his defensive foundation and improves his break, he can aim for a third title. Another championship cycle would put him among the greatest European pool players. The big question now is whether sponsors and media will accept the value of a quiet champion. In the first three sets, Kaci showed why he has been a two-time world champion. His strong break and fast table reading gave him the lead, but Szewczyk's stability in decisive exchanges leveled every advantage. There were racks where Kaci seemed to open the road back, only to be stopped by a precise safety shot. The final was not full of explosions, but it was rich in technical detail. For fans of intelligent pool, it was one of the most watchable finals of the event. Szewczyk's title also poses a question for scouts and promoters: how to invest properly in disciplined players. In a sport with an element of luck, a solid defensive system can be a long-term ticket to major titles. Countries building pool academies, including Vietnam, should study how Szewczyk chooses safe solutions instead of risky shots. That is a small detail, but it can make the difference between a talent and a champion.