Vietnamese top player Dương Quốc Hoàng exits in the Last 16 of the Pattaya Open.

Vietnam's top player Dương Quốc Hoàng officially concluded his journey in the Last 16 of the 2026 Pattaya Open billiards tournament following a 2-9 loss to Filipino contender Ronnel Nalaunan.

The swift defeat brought "Hoàng Sao"'s campaign in the Thailand-based tournament to an early close, despite his earlier impressive performance that had secured him a spot among the top 16 players.

Before reaching the Last 16, Dương Quốc Hoàng delivered a convincing performance by defeating Patric Gonzales (Philippines) 9-5. In this match, the Vietnamese player started confidently and quickly built a large lead, going ahead 7-2 thanks to precise shots and excellent table control. Although Gonzales narrowed the gap to 7-5 at one point, "Hoàng Sao"'s composure came through at the right moment to close out the match 9-5, securing his place in the round of 16.

However, the challenge in the next round proved too difficult for the Vietnamese representative as he faced Ronnel Nalaunan – a Filipino player in excellent form who was the runner-up in the Chinese Taipei Open earlier this year. Although the two players had met before with Dương Quốc Hoàng emerging victorious, this rematch unfolded in a completely different manner.

From the very first racks, Nalaunan displayed near-perfect form. The Filipino player competed with remarkable consistency, continuously scoring in accurate series and leaving almost no opportunities for his opponent. In the first six racks, Dương Quốc Hoàng had very few visits to the table and was largely unable to execute his familiar playing style.

It wasn't until the 7th rack that Nalaunan made his first significant mistake. Dương Quốc Hoàng seized this chance to score, but by then the gap was already too wide. With machine-like steady performance, the Filipino player swiftly concluded the match with a dominant 9-2 victory.

This defeat officially ended Dương Quốc Hoàng's run at the 2026 Pattaya Open in the Last 16. Nevertheless, reaching the top 16 remains a commendable achievement, especially given that Vietnamese billiards had few representatives advancing deep in this tournament.

After exiting the Pattaya Open, Dương Quốc Hoàng will quickly turn his focus to his next target: the European Open.