Duong Quoc Hoang staged a comeback victory against a European pool player.

Vietnamese pool player Duong Quoc Hoang recently secured a win over Pijus Labutis at the 2026 World 8-Ball Championship.

After a regrettable loss to Justin Bergman in the first round, Duong Quoc Hoang had to move to the losers' bracket at the 2026 World 8-Ball Championship and faced a major challenge named Pijus Labutis, a player from Lithuania.

The match started unfavorably for the Vietnamese player as Labutis made an impressive start, quickly advancing to lead 4-1. With high form, the Lithuanian representative continued to maintain the advantage and even reached hill first with a score of 7-5 after a very skillful technical play.

While being pushed to a critical situation, Duong Quoc Hoang's composure began to show. He persistently chased each point, effectively utilizing the rare mistakes of his opponent. The turning point of the match came when Labutis missed a decisive opportunity with an unsuccessful shot on the 2-ball into the 10 pocket, opening a valuable chance for Hoang.

Not missing the opportunity, the Vietnamese player displayed coolness and precision with a perfect table clearance, combined with two decisive shots to level the score at 7-7. In the final game, Hoang continued to maintain his composure, completing a spectacular comeback with a narrow 8-7 victory.

This victory not only helped Duong Quoc Hoang secure advancement to the second round of the losers' bracket, but also clearly demonstrated his competitive spirit and never-give-up attitude. Duong Quoc Hoang's next opponent is Oliver Szolnoki, a Hungarian player who reached the semifinals of the 2021 World Pool Championship at just 24 years old.