Marco Zanetti (1962-) is an Italian three-cushion master from Bolzano — a two-time world champion whose creative, spectacular game has made him one of the sport's great entertainers across four decades of top-level play.
Career highlights
- UMB World Three-Cushion Champion — twice (2002, 2008)
- CEB European Three-Cushion Champion — three times (2013, 2017, 2023)
- World Games three-cushion gold — 2013
- 31-time Italian National Three-Cushion Champion
Playing style
Zanetti plays with flair few can match — bold route choices, heavy spin, and a willingness to attempt shots most pros would decline. He combines genuine system knowledge with an artist's eye for the table, often finding scoring routes invisible to others. Crowds follow him because his three-cushion is theatre as much as sport.
Signature strengths
- Spectacular multi-rail routes played with conviction
- Creative solutions to "impossible" leaves
- Longevity — still winning World Cup stages well into his fifties
Legacy
Italy's greatest three-cushion export, Zanetti carried his country's flag against the Belgian, Dutch, Swedish and Korean powerhouses for decades. His two world titles, six years apart, bracket a career defined by refusing to play it safe.
Try a spectacular route
Zanetti loves the bold multi-rail. Set up the double-rail pattern and see if you can find his line — free, in your browser.
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