Chieh‑Yu Chou Triumphs at the 2025 WPBA Olhausen Raxx Mezz Invitational
WPBA President Dean Roeseler, Vice President Brittany Bryant, Runner-up Kristina Tkach, Champion Chieh-Yu (Rita) Chou, Raxx Owner Holden Chin, and from Olhausen - Caroline Pao.
May 4, 2025 – West Hempstead, NY – Chinese Taipai’s Chieh‑Yu Chou captured her first WPBA title of the year at the 2025 WPBA Olhausen Raxx Mezz Invitational, the season’s second World Ranking Event. Behind a flawless tournament performance, Chou outlasted a star‑studded 64‑player field to lift the $10,250 first‑place prize and earn valuable ranking points in the lead‑up to the World Championships.
Innovative Rule Changes Ignite the Rack
To align with the WPBA’s commitment to global best practices, the Invitational introduced two key break‑format revisions:
The 9‑ball was spotted on the foot spot (instead of the 1‑ball), with opponents racking for each other and the remaining seven balls placed at random. Breakers could inspect the rack and request a rerack if needed—but not touch it.
The 3‑point rule was removed, eliminating the requirement that balls pocketed and/or crossing the head string total at least three. Originally designed to deter soft breaks, it often penalized powerful, cluster‑breaking breaks. The result: truly open racks every time and dramatically varied opening patterns.
Expanded Play & Fan Experience
This event started out playing on 16 tables for the first 2 rounds of each Thursday, May 1st, and Friday, May 2nd, before condensing down to our normal 8 tables of play. This brought the fans closer to the action and increased the experience for the fans watching on the official WPBA YouTube page.
Championship Match Overview
Chieh‑Yu Chou ran undefeated on the A‑side, defeating:
Tarah Conner (8–2), Monica Webb (8–3), Margarita Fefilova (8–6), Allison Fisher (8–6), and “Pearl” Shui Ching Chiang (8–4), then held off Bean (Meng‑Hsia) Hung in a nail‑biter hot‑seat match, 8–7. In the final, Chou dominated world #1 Kristina Tkach, 10–5, to punctuate a standout week.
Payout Breakdown
(Based on a full 64‑player field with $25,000 added; total event purse $49,000)
1st – $10,250 Chieh‑Yu Chou (TPE)
2nd – $6,250 Kristina Tkach
3rd – $4,250 Bean (Meng‑Hsia) Hung (AUS)
4th – $3,250 Shui Ching Chiang (TPE)
5th‑6th – $2,500 Savannah Easton (USA), Tzu‑Chien Wei (TPE)
7th‑8th – $1,800 Nguyen Bich Tram (VNM), Allison Fisher (USA)
9th‑12th – $1,400 Sofia Mast (USA), Pia Filler (GER), Janet Atwell (USA), Margarita Fefilova
13th‑16th – $1,050 Kristina Zlateva (BUL), Bojana Sarac (SRB), Nina Torvund (NOR), Sakura Muramatsu (JPN)
17th‑24th – $700 Veronique Menard (CAN), Mayte Ropero (ESP), Joanne Ashton (CAN), Dawn Hopkins (USA), Kaylee McIntosh (USA), Eylul Kibaroglu (TUR), Caroline Pao (USA), Olivia Cheng (USA)
Runner-Up: Kristina Tkach, our 2025 WPBA Olhausen Raxx Mezz Invitational Champion - Chieh-Yu (Rita) Chou
Second‑Chance Tournament
On Saturday, the $1,000 second‑chance draw saw Florida’s Briana Miller crowned champion, with Susan Mello of Arizona finishing runner‑up.
Tournament Highlights
Shock upset: #1 overall Kristina Tkach fell in round three to 16‑year‑old Junior World Champion Sofia Mast. Kristina then stormed through seven consecutive B‑side matches to reach the final.
Youth on the rise: 15‑year‑old Savannah Easton won four straight A‑side matches—including victories over Lonnie Fox‑Raymond, Kaylee McIntosh, and Sofia Mast—to reach the A‑side final four, ultimately finishing tied for 5th‑6th.
“Pearl” shines: Shui Ching Chiang enjoyed her best WPBA finish since joining the tour last summer, placing fourth with key wins over former #1 Tzu‑Chien Wei (8–2), Nguyen Bich Tram (8–3), and 2024 Tour Champion Bojana Sarac (8–7).
With Gratitude to Our Event Sponsors
This event wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity of Raxx Pool Room, Olhausen Billiards, Mezz Cues, and Hsunami Shafts. Thank you for elevating the quality and experience of women’s professional billiards.
For a full list of the WPBA Tour Sponsors, visit: https://wpba.com/sponsors-1
What’s Next
Mark your calendars for the 2025 WPBA Soaring Eagle Masters—a $40,000‑added World Ranking Event—June 5–8. From there, the tour culminates at the Oneida WPA Women’s World 8‑Ball Championship, July 2–6 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
For full brackets, live streams links, and more, visit wpba.com
