Hong Kong pool ace Robbie Capito vows to keep improving after making history at World 8-Ball Championship
- The 21-year-old Hongkonger finishes ninth after falling to eventual champion – and making a late switch to a new cue
- Debutant Capito admits he needs to work on his stamina after playing four matches on a frantic Monday in Puerto Rico
Hong Kong pool ace Robbie Capito has vowed to keep improving after making history at his maiden World 8-Ball Championship in Puerto Rico on Monday.
The 21-year-old fell to eventual champion Francisco Sanchez Ruiz from Spain, but he became the first Hongkonger to reach the last 16 at the tournament.
His ninth-place finish was also the highest among all Asian players at the 2022 edition of the competition, which was being held for the first time since 2012.
“My breaks need to improve, as does my familiarity with the game [8-Ball], and then my stamina too,” said Capito, who faced four games in a manic Monday, where he played for nearly 14 hours straight from 10am, with only a matter of minutes to rest before his last two encounters.
His performance was all the more impressive given Capito made a bold call to switch his cue just a day before play got under way on November 19.
Filipino stars and close friends Carlo Biado and Johann Chua advised him otherwise. Yet Capito, who had been struggling for form in recent months, decided to gamble on using a carbon fibre cue.