Above: Roberto Gomez
FILIPINOS took both qualifiers on Day 3 of the qualifying round of the World Ten Ball Championship at the Star Billiards Center on Saturday. Jundel Mazon and Roberto Gomez prevailed in two all-Filipino finals that showed growing dominance by the locals of the qualifiers. With their victories, the Philippines has now won four of the six WTBC spots up for competition. The other two spots were won by China and Chinese Taipei.
In Qualifier 5, Mazon overwhelmed veteran campaigner Antonio Lining, 9-3, while Gomez outlasted Mario Tolentino in Qualifier 6, 9-7.
Pitted against a more accomplished opponent, Mazon took the initiative with aggressive play. He raced to an early lead, and whenever Lining would take a rack, Mazon would storm ahead.
The match closed with Mazon taking the last four racks.
“I had to be aggressive and put some distance between us early,” said Macon. “I know it’s hard to beat Lining in a close match.”
The Qualifier 6 Finals was much closer. After winning the opening rack, Gomez found himself trailing 2-5 against Tolentino, a veteran and coach of the BSCP national team.
Gomez, a finalist in the 2007 World Pool Championship, climbed back into contention by clustering several racks. Down the stretch he took the lead and did not give it back until the finish.
By earning a berth in the 2009 WTBC, Gomez has a chance to duplicate and even better his feat in 2007, when he rose from the qualifying round all the way to the finals of the WPC.
