In a mad dash to hold off pesky challenger Alex Pagualyan and complete the final match before Pay-Per-View satellite feeds went “to black,” Germany’s Ralf Souquet scored a heart-pounding 13-11 win in the final of the 27th U.S. Open 9-Ball Championship in Chesapeake, Va., Sunday night.

Souquet’s triumph over the Canadian contender was completed just three minutes before the plug was to be pulled on pool’s first pay-per-view effort, and brought the normally emotionless German to his knees in exultation.

In winning his first U.S. Open title, Souquet earned $30,000 from the $150,000 prize fund. Pagualyan, the 24-year-old Canadian-by-way-of-the-Philippines, played 11 consecutive matches in the loser’s bracket of the 215-player field, and earned $15,000 for his efforts. Five-time U.S. Open champion (and reigning WPA World 9-Ball Champion) Earl Strickland finished third ($10,000), followed by Hawaiian Rodney Morris ($7,000).