2023 Welsh Open Last 16
104
£13,000
£13,000
Ben Mertens qualified for the World Snooker Tour for the first time following his victory at the 2022 EBSA European Under-21 Snooker Championship in Albania.
The talented Belgian player first announced himself on the international stage at the 2018 Paul Hunter Classic, when he defeated professional Adam Stefanow aged just 13 in the opening round.
Mertens secured a notable win against James Cahill at the 2020 World Championship qualifiers, in doing so becoming the youngest player ever to win a match at the event (a record since broken by Welsh youngster Liam Davies in 2022).
A year prior to his breakthrough European Under-21 Championship victory, Mertens also claimed the Under-18 crown, defeating compatriot Julien Leclercq 4-3 in the final.