Top Austrian players Philipp Koch and Oskar Charlesworth, who will become the new number one in the upcoming Austrian Snooker League rankings, have won the first Snooker Doubles Championship Qualifier and secured their place at the ÖSBV Finals. These finals will, for the first time, feature all national championship medals awarded over one weekend in January 2026.
The two HSEBC players defeated reigning Austrian Champions Thomas Janzso and Jérôme Liedtke (HSEBC/SNOCK) 3-1 in the final. A total of seven pairings took part in the tournament, competing not only for the coveted qualifying spot but also for important ranking points.
P. Koch, O. Charlesworth, P. Stegmeier (ref.), T. Janzso, J. Liedtke; © ÖSBV/pstegmeier
Thomas Brandl and Daniel Seyser (SNOCK/15 Reds) took third place, winning the third-place match against the top-seeded HSEBC duo Christian Kasparek and Zoran Kostic.
Z. Kostic, C. Kasparek, C. W. Steiner (ref.), D. Seyser, T. Brandl; © ÖSBV/pstegmeier
ÖSBV Sports Director Patrick Stegmeier served as tournament director and, together with Carl Walter Steiner, also officiated as referee from the semifinals onward. The tournament’s highest break came from Philipp Koch with a run of 59 points.
The second qualification event for the 2025 National Doubles Championship will take place on October 25 at the Austrian Snooker and Billiards Academy in Vienna. Although Charlesworth/Koch have already secured their ticket for the Austrian Championship, they are still eligible to compete. Any other pairing winning that tournament can claim the second direct qualifying spot.
The remaining spots for the Austrian Championship will be awarded based on the ranking list formed from the two qualifying events. Normally, four starting spots are available. In the event of a tie on points for positions 4, 5 and perhaps 6, the number of participating pairs can be increased to six.
Cover photograph: Oskar Charlesworth, Philipp Koch; © ÖSBV/pstegmeier