Eklent Kaci at the 2026 UK Open: Inside the Golden Eagle of Albania’s Cue Setup as the Brentwood Field Opens

The Golden Eagle of Albania lands in Brentwood this week, and the field has every reason to be nervous. Eklent Kaci is one of the most decorated active players on the World Nineball Tour, holds a WPA world number one ranking on his resume, and has already lifted the UK Open trophy once. He turned 27 in January, he has been a sponsored Predator player since he was 14 years old, and the cue he carries into the 2026 UK Open at the Brentwood Centre is one of the most studied setups in modern pool. If you have ever wondered what gear the very top professionals trust under a sixty thousand dollar prize line, the Kaci kit is a good place to start. We use it as a lens in this post because nearly every piece is something a serious amateur or league player can actually buy at Quarter King Billiards.

This year’s UK Open Pool Championship runs from May 26 to May 31, 2026 at the Brentwood Centre in Essex, England. The format is the same brutal open draw that has defined the event since Matchroom rebooted it in 2019. Two hundred and fifty six players enter, the bracket is double elimination through the early stages, and the final stretch is straight knockout race to thirteen on the TV table. The top sixty four seeds on the World Nineball Tour rankings draw the favorable side of the bracket, but the open field always produces a few stories. Last year it was Aloysius Yapp lifting his maiden Matchroom Major. This year the favorites list is short and Kaci’s name sits at the top of every shortlist.

Why Kaci Is the Cue to Watch

To understand why Kaci is the player to study, it helps to look at how he plays nine ball. His break is heavy and controlled rather than violent. His safety game ranks among the best of his generation. His shot selection on open tables almost never gives up ball in hand. He is a counter puncher who lets opponents make the first mistake, then closes out racks with very high efficiency. That style requires a cue setup that is forgiving on power shots, low deflection on cut shots with English, and predictable across the entire range of his game. The Predator BLAK series and the REVO carbon shaft platform that Kaci uses were built for exactly that profile.

Kaci took the 2023 UK Open with a 13-4 win over Joshua Filler in the final, and he was the WPA Player of the Year in 2017. Beyond the UK Open he has won two World Pool Series overall titles, captured the 2018 Treviso Open, swept the Aramith Masters in 2017, and finished runner up at the US Open 9-Ball. None of that happens by accident. It comes from logged hours and a cue setup that the player trusts under match pressure.

The Kaci Cue Setup, Piece by Piece

Kaci plays a Predator BLAK series butt with a REVO carbon fiber shaft. The BLAK series is Predator’s tournament focused production line and it is the platform a long list of pro tour players carry to TV finals. The construction uses a uniloc quick release joint, a four piece pro taper feel, and Predator’s signature low vibration butt design. At Quarter King the BLAK series shows up in several signature cues including the Predator PREBLK54 BLAK Series Cue, the PREBLK51, and the flagship Predator Black 55 PREBLK55, all of which ship with a REVO carbon shaft as the standard pairing. The full Predator collection at QKB carries about fifty seven listings across BLAK, P3, Throne, Sneaky Pete, and Sport 2 lines.

Kaci’s shaft of choice is a Predator REVO 12.4 carbon fiber. The REVO platform has been on tour for most of the last decade and the 12.4 millimeter tip diameter is the workhorse spec. It sits between the thinner REVO 11.8 favored by the Filipino school and the thicker REVO 12.9 that some power players prefer. The carbon construction gives Kaci consistent deflection numbers, no warp across humid arenas, and a hit profile that pros describe as a quiet thud rather than the crisp ping of a maple shaft. For an amateur looking to chase that same feel without paying flagship money, our carbon fiber shaft category carries REVO and aftermarket alternatives that all hit at low deflection numbers a maple shaft cannot reach.

His break cue is a Predator BK Rush. This is the same break cue used by most of the Predator stable and a long list of unaffiliated pros who simply find it the best production break cue on the market. The carbon fiber break shaft, the dedicated phenolic break tip, and the heavy forward weighted construction make it the cue you reach for when the rack absolutely has to come open. Quarter King stocks the Predator Black BK Rush Break Cue No Wrap for the players who want the same feel that breaks open racks on Matchroom TV tables.

How Brentwood Shapes Kaci’s Path

The Brentwood Centre is a fast venue. Cloth speed is high, pockets are unforgiving, and the lighting on the TV table is intense. Players have to manage cue ball position under pressure or they end up with awkward leaves that hand racks back to the opponent. Kaci’s draw is open. He benefits from a manageable opening round, but the early bracket includes a number of dangerous floaters who have nothing to lose and play with the freedom that produces upsets. The first three matches are where Matchroom Majors are usually lost by the favorites.

Watch for the moments when Kaci has to play a long safety with low outside English. That is the shot where the REVO carbon shaft pays the most. A traditional maple shaft would push the cue ball off line on a long thin cut with reverse English. The carbon platform keeps the ball on its intended path and lets Kaci aim where he wants to hit, not where he has to compensate to hit. Over five days of pool this difference is worth several racks.

Building a Kaci Inspired Setup at Home

You do not have to be world number one to play a pro style setup. The Predator BLAK series carries the closest hit to what Kaci actually feels under his hands. If the BLAK price tag is past your budget today, the Predator P3 Black No Wrap and the Predator Throne3 5 Pool Cue deliver the same family of feel at a step down in price. Both ship from QKB with current production REVO compatibility. The combination of a Predator butt and a REVO 12.4 shaft is the bedrock setup that pros use because it is consistent across rooms, climates, and pressure levels.

The single most useful upgrade for most league and amateur players is to move from a wood shaft to a low deflection carbon platform. Once you stop fighting the rig you can start practicing the actual stroke. Kaci has been playing carbon since the REVO launched. He had a head start on the platform and that head start shows on TV tables every season.

What to Watch For at the 2026 UK Open

The week opens with the early rounds on May 26 and rolls toward TV table coverage by midweek. Kaci’s likely path runs through one or two regional qualifiers, then a former Mosconi Cup level player by the round of thirty two. The pinch points to circle on your calendar are Wednesday afternoon and Thursday night, where the format funnels seeded players into matches against the open field survivors. If Kaci is going to drop a session, it is more likely there than at the trophy stages where his big match temperament shines.

Carry over storylines worth tracking are Yapp’s title defense, Filler’s hunt for a third Matchroom Major in a year, and the question of whether any non Predator sponsored player can lift the trophy. Predator stable members have taken five of the last seven UK Open titles, and the equipment story this year is whether that streak continues. Kaci’s setup is the reason most fans expect it will.

A Closing Note on Watching the Field

If you watch the 2026 UK Open with one eye on equipment, you will see how often the top pros play the same broad recipe. A Predator BLAK or Throne butt, a REVO carbon shaft in either 11.8 or 12.4 diameter, and a BK Rush break cue. That is not because the sponsorship pays them to carry the brand. It is because the gear has earned its place at the elite level by being predictable in the moments that decide tournaments. The whole pool cue selection at Quarter King is built around the same principle. Pros pick gear that does the same thing every time. You can do the same.

Tune in for Brentwood from May 26. If Kaci lifts the trophy on May 31 it will not be a surprise. The setup is right, the form is there, and the Brentwood floor is a venue that rewards exactly the safety first counter punching style he has built his career around.

About Corey Bernstein

Corey Bernstein is a competitive pool player, billiards equipment specialist, and co-owner of Quarter King Billiards in Wilmington, North Carolina. With over a decade of experience in the sport, Corey has competed in regional APA and BCA sanctioned tournaments and maintains an intimate knowledge of cue construction, shaft technology, and table mechanics. As a certified dealer for brands including Predator, McDermott, Jacoby, Viking, Lucasi, Meucci, Joss, and Cuetec, Corey personally tests and evaluates every cue that comes through the shop. His hands-on approach to the business means he has racked thousands of hours behind the table — breaking in shafts, comparing tip compounds, and dialing in the nuances that separate a good cue from a great one. When he is not behind the counter or on the table, Corey is researching the latest advances in low-deflection technology, carbon fiber shaft construction, and cue ball physics. His articles on Quarter King Billiards combine real-world playing experience with deep product knowledge to help players at every level find the right equipment for their game.