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Jasmin Ouschan Becomes the First-Ever Women’s 8-Ball World Champion
By Jerry Stuckart, WPBA Technical Director
Green Bay, Wisconsin – July 6, 2025
The final 8-ball rolled slowly, suspensefully, almost defiantly—then dropped. The crowd erupted. Jasmin Ouschan collapsed in joy, eyes wide, heart full. The world had just witnessed the crowning of the first-ever Women’s 8-Ball World Champion.
After five days of elite-level competition, it was Jasmin Ouschan of Austria who emerged victorious at the 2025 ONEIDA WPA Women’s 8-Ball World Championship, hosted at the Oneida Casino & Hotel in Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA.
If the 49-year-old WPBA has taught us anything, it’s that the talent curve keeps bending upward. WPBA analysts reviewed every professional women’s event from the past five seasons and confirmed what the fans inside Soaring Eagle Casino & Resort already felt: this 64-player lineup carried the highest talent ever recorded for a women’s tournament.
Six Storylines That Defined Masters ’25
Wei’s Wire-to-Wire Crown – Taiwan’s Tzu-Chien Wei never left the winners’ side, stringing together victories over Debbie Teichert, Eylul Kibaroglu, April Larson, Yuki Hiraguchi, Seo Seoa, and three-time WPBA runner-up Kristina Zlateva before out-dueling Pia Filler 10-8 in the extended final.
Filler’s Fearless Fight-Back – Germany’s Pia Filler motored past Rachel Lang, Teruko Macklin, Kennedy Meyman, and Sofia Mast, then left herself tree-topped and pushed a ball wide to drop her first loss 7-8 to Zlateva. Dropping to the one-loss side only lit the fuse: she eliminated world-#1 Kristina Tkach, Seo Seoa, and Zlateva (again 8-7) to earn a title shot against Wei.
Hill-Hill Heart-Stoppers – Nineteen matches reached 8-7 this event!
A few key Hill-Hill matches:
Winners Round 1 – Sofia Mast 8 – 7 Miina Tani
The 16-year-old American opened her breakout run by out-lasting Japan’s Tani in a rack-for-rack race to the wire.
Winners Round 3 – Kristina Tkach 8 – 7 Monica Webb
World-No. 1 Tkach stared down an early loss for the first time all week, edging the veteran Webb to keep her perfect winners-side record intact.
Winners Round 5 – Kristina Zlateva 8 – 7 Pia Filler
A see-saw quarter-final that sent Filler to the one-loss side and cemented Zlateva’s path to a third-place finish.
B-Side Round 5 – Silviana Lu 8 – 7 Bojana Sarac
Indonesia’s Lu erased a late deficit, banking the final 7-ball and running out to survive another day.
B-Side Round 10 – Pia Filler 8 – 7 Kristina Zlateva
In a dramatic rematch, Filler flipped the earlier result, sinking a pressure-packed 8 and 9-ball to reach the championship match against Wei.
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:
Olhausen Dan and Paula Bourget, ICB Eric Asencio, Runner-up Kristina Tkach, her Dad and Coach, Champion Jasmin Ouschan, Iron City Owner Michael Catanese, WPBA President and Tournament Director Dean Roeseler
Jasmin Ouschan Reigns at the 2025 WPBA Olhausen Iron City Invitational
February 2, 2025 – Iron City Billiards, Birmingham, Alabama, USA – Austria’s Jasmin Ouschan delivered a stunning comeback performance to capture the championship at the 2025 WPBA Olhausen Iron City Invitational, the season’s first World Ranking Event. Ouschan’s title not only marks her triumphant return after missing a significant portion of the 2024 season—dropping her ranking to #60—but also sets a bold tone for the new season.
A Unique Format and Early Stage 1 Dominance
The invitational featured a distinctive format with 80 competitors. The top 32 seeded players advanced automatically to the Final Stage, while the remaining 48 battled it out in Stage 1 on January 29th and 30th. Only 16 players advanced from Stage 1 to join the Final Stage. In Stage 1, Ouschan won her three matches with lopsided victories, posting a combined game record of 21–2.
Joining Ouschan by also going undefeated in Stage 1 were Judie…
The 2024 WPBA Dr Pool / Jacoby Tour Championship, held in Rothschild, Wisconsin, marked a sensational conclusion to the WPBA season. Over five days, from December 11th to 15th, 80 of the world's top female pool players converged at the Central Wisconsin Convention & Expo Center, battling it out in a fiercely competitive field. This $40,000 added event not only showcased elite skill levels but also significant ranking implications as it was the final ranking event of the year.
Switzerland's Bojana Sarac emerged as the tournament champion, claiming her first ever WPBA title in a compelling finale. Her journey to the top was marked by ….
The Capital City Billiards Invitational, held in Concord, New Hampshire from November 21st to 24th, saw Pia Filler capture her first WPBA title. This event, enhanced by a $15,000 addition from Capital City Billiards, attracted some of the world's top female billiards talent, delivering thrilling matches throughout the weekend.
Journey to Victory
Pia Filler started strong with an 8-0 win against Suzy Dickstein and maintained her momentum by defeating Emily Duddy 8-1. She faced tough matches against top players Kelly Fisher and Tzu-Chien Wei, narrowly winning each with scores of 8-7 and setting up an interesting match with the 14-year-old phenom, Savannah Easton. The 2 players have split victories the last 2 times they faced off. This match was back and forth and tied at 5-5. Pia broke and ran the table to take the 6-5 lead…..
It was unbelievable and yet . . . it happened. Kristina Tkach and Margarita Fefilova-Styer played twice during this past weekend’s (Oct. 10-13) WPBA CueSpeed NAPA Invitational at Railyard Billiards in Louisville, KY. Hot seat and finals. Although the two had not faced each other at the last WPBA event, the Olhausen Colorado Classic (Sept. 26-29), which Styer had won and Tkach had finished in the tie for 9th, the two had ended that outing as the top two women in the WPBA’s rankings, Tkach ahead of Styer. Separated by a single, FargoRate point as they came into the event (Tkach on top, 733-732), expectations ran high as they approached each other from opposite ends of the bracket and won five straight to get into the hot seat match.
Tkach would lose the hot seat match and come back…
The 2024 WPBA Olhausen Colorado Classic, held at Felt Billiards & Bar in Denver, showcased a dazzling display of skill and competition from September 26th to 29th. With a strong field of 64 international competitors, this tournament featured intense matches and highlighted the rise of new talents in women's professional billiards. Sponsored by Olhausen Pool Tables, Fodor Billiards, and Adam Burke, the event added $15,000, drawing top talent and billiards enthusiasts to the scenic venue.
Margarita Fefilova's journey through the tournament was nothing short of spectacular, leading her to her first-ever WPBA tour victory. Fefilova won six consecutive matches, including notable victories over....
Palmetto Reid Strauss, Champ Allison Fisher, Runner-up Kristina Zlateva, Palmetto Shane Mills
The 2024 WPBA Palmetto Billiards Invitational, hosted at the newly opened Palmetto Billiards Academy in Charleston, South Carolina, showcased a captivating display of billiards mastery from August 22nd to 25th. Set on pristine Predator 9' Apex tables, with a generous $20,000 added by Palmetto, the event drew the crème de la crème of the world’s top female cueists.
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The 2024 Iron City Billiard Invitational IV, hosted in Birmingham, Alabama, wrapped up with thrilling performances and showcased some of the top talents in women’s billiards. The exceptional hospitality provided by owner Michael and his team ensured a welcoming atmosphere for all participants.
Kristina Tkach’s Long-Awaited Victory: Kristina Tkach, entering as the #1 seed, finally captured her first title of the season at the Iron City Billiard Invitational IV after finishing second in three consecutive tournaments. Tkach maintained her composure and skill throughout the tournament, culminating in an undefeated streak. In a crucial hot seat match, she bested Margarita Fefilova 8-6, securing her spot in the finals where she continued her dominance …