The Estonian Open 2025 came to a close in Tallinn on Sunday evening, with Finland’s Juhani Tonteri crowned as the champion.
In a dramatic stepladder final, Tonteri edged fellow Finn Teemu Putkisto by just one pin, winning 223–222 and earning the top prize of 5,000 euros.
Tonteri led the tournament from start to finish. He topped the qualification with 1,450 total over six games, earning a direct bye to Final Step 2. There, he once again led the 32-player field with 1,396. In the top 16, he defeated Sweden's Emil Holmberg 2–0 (502–408), and in the quarterfinals he beat Estonia's Kaisa-Ly Lee 2–0 (467–344) to secure the No. 1 seed.
Robin Miklas earned the No. 2 seed after edging Sweden’s William Svensson 2–1 (673–662) in a close match. Teemu Putkisto claimed the No. 3 seed by defeating Juho Rissanen 2–1 (641–614). Jussi Laine took the No. 4 seed after eliminating Karl Martin Veiderpass 2–1 (645–528).
In the stepladder finals, Putkisto defeated Laine 215–187 and then overcame Miklas in another tight battle, 217–213, to reach the title match against Tonteri.
The final was evenly balanced, with both players trading strikes and spares. Putkisto held a narrow lead before Tonteri struck back, leaving the match tied entering the tenth frame.
Having to bowl first, Tonteri made a nine-spare and then a nine, leaving the door slightly open for Putkisto. He needed a strike in his final shot to force a tie after posting an eight-spare, but the seven pin remained standing. That sealed Tonteri’s narrow 223–222 victory.
The tournament drew more than 170 participants from 10 countries. The total prize fund of the event was 33,000 Euros.
