Alex Lely facts for kids
Alex Lely at the 2008 Mosconi Cup, held in Malta
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| Born | 30 June 1973 The Hague, Netherlands |
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| Sport country |  Netherlands |
| Nickname | "The Plague From The Hague" |
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Alex Lely (born June 30, 1973) is a famous former professional pool player from the Netherlands. He is known for his amazing skills on the pool table.
Alex Lely won the 1999 World Pool Masters, which is a very important tournament. He beat another great player, Efren Reyes, in the final match. He also reached the final again in 2000. Alex is a two-time European champion. He won both the nine-ball and eight-ball events at the 2005 European Pool Championships.
He played for the European team in the Mosconi Cup four times. This is a big team competition against players from the USA. In 2008, he helped the European team win as their non-playing captain. Later, in 2020, he became the main captain for the European Mosconi Cup team. Alex also won several events on the Euro Tour, starting with the 1999 German Open.
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Alex Lely's Pool Journey
Alex Lely was born in The Hague, Netherlands, on June 30, 1973. He plays pool using his right hand. Alex became a professional pool player in 1998.
Early Success and Big Wins
In 1999, just one year after turning pro, Alex won his first major tournament. This was the World Pool Masters. He beat the legendary player Efren Reyes with a score of 7–5 in the final. During this competition, Alex even collected autographs from his opponents!
Because of his big win at the Masters, Alex was chosen to play for the European team. He joined them for the 1999 Mosconi Cup. In the same year, he also won his first Euro Tour event. He defeated Francisco Bustamante in the final of the 1999 German Open.
European Championships and Other Finals
In 2000, Alex Lely reached his first final at the European Pool Championships. He played in the straight pool event but lost to Oliver Ortmann. He also made it to the final of the 2000 World Pool Masters again. However, he lost that match to Ralf Souquet with a score of 3–7.
Alex didn't win any major titles for a few seasons after that. He competed in the 2001 World Games in both snooker and pool. He reached the last 16 in both events. In 2003, he made it to the semifinals of the World Pool Masters. He lost to Hsia Hui-Kai.
European Champion and Mosconi Cup
Alex continued to play well in the World Pool Masters. He reached the quarter-finals in both 2004 and 2005. In 2005, he had a fantastic year at the European Pool Championships. He won two different events! He won the nine-ball tournament by beating Ralf Souquet 9–8. He also won the eight-ball event, defeating Tomasz Kapłan.
He played for the European team in the 2005 Mosconi Cup for the second time. The team was defeated in that event. Before the 2007 WPA World Nine-ball Championship, Alex decided to retire from professional play. He mentioned that he wanted less pressure and that tournaments didn't suit his playing style anymore.
Return to the Mosconi Cup as Captain
Even after retiring from playing, Alex Lely remained involved in pool. He returned to the Mosconi Cup in 2008 and 2009. This time, he was the non-playing captain for the European team. In 2008, his team won the cup!
He also made an appearance at the 2015 Derby City Classic, finishing in fourth place. Alex even returned to play in the 2018 World Pool Masters. This event celebrated 25 years of the tournament and featured many past winners. Alex lost in the first round to Alex Pagulayan. In 2020, Alex Lely was announced as the new captain for the European Mosconi Cup team. He took over from Marcus Chamat.
Alex Lely's Major Wins
Here are some of the big titles and achievements Alex Lely has won:
- 2022 European One Pocket Tournament
- 2005 European Pool Championship 9-Ball
- 2005 Euro Tour Italian Open
- 2005 European Pool Championship 8-Ball
- 2002 Fujairah International 8-Ball Championship
- 1999 World Pool Masters
- 1999 Euro Tour German Open
- 1999 Euro Tour Netherlands Open
