RAYA SPORTS

2011-05-15T15:33:00.001+08:00

wtbc finals race to 11, fu 6, See 7

2011-05-15T15:21:00.001+08:00

wtbc finals race to 11, Fu 4, See 7

2011-05-15T15:18:00.001+08:00

Tourism Secretary Alberto Lim at 2011 World 10Ball Championship Championship

2011-05-15T13:51:00.001+08:00

World 10Ball Semifinal match 2 - Fu Jian Bo (CHN) defeats Carlo Biado (PHI) , 9-5 http://wp.me/p1f6V0-b4

2011-05-15T11:05:00.001+08:00

World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal Match 1: See defeats Akakariyama, 9 to 6

2011-03-14T23:45:00.001+08:00

Check out the video plugs of previous Raya-WPA tournaments in the Philippines http://ping.fm/mOVnP

2011-03-11T22:48:00.001+08:00

Get the latest news on Phil Open and World Ten Ball Champ by email. Subscribe to http://ping.fm/9CRoi

2011-02-19T15:45:00.001+08:00

Hotel information for Philippine Open is at http://ping.fm/dXTQv

2011-02-16T18:29:00.001+08:00

Raya Sports has partnered with TV5′s AksyonTV for the broadcast of its top billiards events: PhilOpen, World 10 Ball Championship and more!

2011-02-04T17:29:00.001+08:00

New venue for Phil Open: Megatrade Hall 3, SM Megamall -- see http://ping.fm/Ccf6L

2011-01-31T16:35:00.001+08:00

Schedules for the qualifiers for the Philippine Open Pool Championships has been firmed up: March 31 to April 4, 2011 (Thursday to Monday) at Star Billiards Center. See the qualifier form page in http://ping.fm/RX8ef

2011-01-30T18:41:00.001+08:00

WPA has modified the Phil Open schedule to 7-11 April 2011. See http://ping.fm/1649T

2011-01-25T17:04:00.001+08:00

2011-01-25T16:47:00.001+08:00

2011-01-15T12:13:00.001+08:00

http://ping.fm/s2yvl for updates on world10ball & PhilOpen

Immonen Wins World Ten Ball Championship

2009-12-01T09:43:00.001+08:00

Above: Mika Immonen

By Jerry Forsyth
WPA Press Officer-

THERE can be no doubt as to who the best player in the world is now. Mika Immonen of Finland has won the World Ten Ball Championship in Manila scant weeks after winning his second consecutive US Open and the Challenge of Champions. These wins push him over the $200,000 mark for the year and cement his place firmly in pool history.

Immonen entered the final day as one of four players left out of the 128 who started the week. His first victim for the day was Antonio Lining of the Philippines whom he beat 9-7. Just after this win the other semi-final between Lee Van Corteza of the Philippines and David Alcaide of Spain ended with Corteza earning the right to face Immonen 9-7.

Corteza began the final with a hot hand and led 2-0 after the first two racks. But from there Immonen found his game and slowly pulled away to take the title 11-6 in a convincing victory.

Congratulations go out to Raya Sports for their production of this year’s championship and the Republic of the Philippines for being such gracious hosts.

2009-11-30T19:10:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Final Match - Race to 11: Immonen (FIN) = 2 vs Corteza (PHI) = 2

2009-11-30T19:03:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Final Match - Race to 11: Immonen (FIN) = 1 vs Corteza (PHI) = 2

2009-11-30T18:49:00.001+08:00

Corteza draws first blood - 2009 World 10 Ball Championship Final Match - Race to 11: Immonen (FIN) = 0 vs Corteza (PHI) = 1

2009-11-30T18:25:00.001+08:00

Live on Studio23 and StarSports - 2009 World 10 Ball Championship FINAL MATCH - Race to 11: Immonen (FIN) vs Corteza (PHI)

2009-11-30T18:18:00.001+08:00

ON TO THE FINALS! Mika Immonen (FIN) vs Lee Van Corteza (PHI) FOR 2009 World 10 Ball Champion. Live on Studio 23 and Star Sports

2009-11-30T18:14:00.001+08:00

CORTEZA TO THE FINALS!!! 2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 2 - Race to 9: Alcaide (SPN) = 7 vs Corteza (PHI) = 9

2009-11-30T18:08:00.001+08:00

CORTEZA ON THE HILL! 2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 2 - Race to 9: Alcaide (SPN) = 7 vs Corteza (PHI) = 8

2009-11-30T18:03:00.001+08:00

ANOTHER TIE!!! 2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 2 - Race to 9: Alcaide (SPN) = 7 vs Corteza (PHI) = 7

2009-11-30T17:53:00.001+08:00

CHANGE FAVOR !!! 2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 2 - Race to 9: Alcaide (SPN) = 7 vs Corteza (PHI) = 6

2009-11-30T17:47:00.001+08:00

TIE!!! 2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 2 - Race to 9: Alcaide (SPN) = 6 vs Corteza (PHI) = 6

2009-11-30T17:33:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 2 - Race to 9: Alcaide (SPN) = 5 vs Corteza (PHI) = 6

2009-11-30T17:25:00.001+08:00

Combination on on the 10 by Alcaide! 2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 2 - Race to 9: Alcaide (SPN) = 4 vs Corteza (PHI) = 5

2009-11-30T17:18:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 2 - Race to 9: Alcaide (SPN) = 3 vs Corteza (PHI) = 5

2009-11-30T17:10:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 2 - Race to 9: Alcaide (SPN) = 2 vs Corteza (PHI) = 5

2009-11-30T17:01:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 2 - Race to 9: Alcaide (SPN) = 2 vs Corteza (PHI) = 4

2009-11-30T16:51:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 2 - Race to 9: Alcaide (SPN) = 2 vs Corteza (PHI) = 3

2009-11-30T16:43:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 2 - Race to 9: Alcaide (SPN) = 1 vs Corteza (PHI) = 3

2009-11-30T16:36:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 2 - Race to 9: Alcaide (SPN) = 1 vs Corteza (PHI) = 2

2009-11-30T16:29:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 2 - Race to 9: Alcaide (SPN) = 1 vs Corteza (PHI) = 1

2009-11-30T16:27:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 2 - Race to 9: Alcaide (SPN) = 1 vs Corteza (PHI) = 0

2009-11-30T16:04:00.001+08:00

Live on Studio 23 and Star Sports: 2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 2 - Race to 9: Alcaide (SPN) vs Corteza (PHI)

2009-11-30T15:55:00.001+08:00

Next up on 2009 World 10 Ball Championship -- Semifinal match 2 - Race to 9: Alcaide (SPN) vs Corteza (PHI)

2009-11-30T15:54:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship -- IMMONEN GETS FIRST FINAL SLOT! Defeats Lining 9-7

2009-11-30T15:50:00.001+08:00

SORRY, TYPOS -- 2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 1 - Race to 9:
Immonen (FIN) = 8; Lining (PHI) = 7

2009-11-30T15:49:00.003+08:00

ALMOST THERE! 2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 1 - Race to 9: Immonen (FIN) = 2; Lining (PHI) = 1

2009-11-30T15:49:00.001+08:00

almost the2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 1 - Race to 9: Immonen (FIN) = 8; Lining (PHI) = 7

2009-11-30T15:41:00.001+08:00

TOO CLOSE!!! 2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 1 - Race to 9: Immonen (FIN) = 7; Lining (PHI) = 7

2009-11-30T15:33:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 1 - Race to 9:
Immonen (FIN) = 6
Lining (PHI) = 7

2009-11-30T15:22:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 1 - Race to 9:
Immonen (FIN) = 6
Lining (PHI) = 6

2009-11-30T15:18:00.001+08:00

Lining scratches on break

2009-11-30T15:15:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 1 - Race to 9:
Immonen (FIN) = 5
Lining (PHI) = 6

2009-11-30T15:14:00.001+08:00

Immonen fudges the 8!

2009-11-30T15:10:00.001+08:00

Lining hides 3 ball, Immonen overcomes with a bank shot for his own safety shot, now Lining executes a very fine side shot on the 3 completely avoiding the blocking 4

2009-11-30T15:06:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 1 - Race to 9:
Immonen (FIN) = 5
Lining (PHI) = 5

2009-11-30T15:05:00.001+08:00

Dry break by Immonen

2009-11-30T14:59:00.001+08:00

Lining rallies! 2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 1 - Race to 9:
Immonen (FIN) = 4
Lining (PHI) = 5

2009-11-30T14:48:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 1 - Race to 9:
Immonen (FIN) = 4
Lining (PHI) = 3

2009-11-30T14:44:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 1 - Race to 9:
Immonen (FIN) = 4
Lining (PHI) = 2

2009-11-30T14:35:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 1 - Race to 9:
Immonen (FIN) = 4
Lining (PHI) = 1

2009-11-30T14:31:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 1 - Race to 9:
Immonen (FIN) = 3
Lining (PHI) = 1

2009-11-30T14:30:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match 1 - Race to 9:
Immonen (FIN) = 2
Lining (PHI) = 1

2009-11-30T14:27:00.001+08:00

2009orld 10 ball Champiosnhip Semifinal match 1 - Race to 9:
Immonen (FIN) = 2
Lining (PHI) = 1

2009-11-30T14:20:00.001+08:00

2009orld 10 ball Champiosnhip Semifinal match 1 - Race to 9:
Immonen (FIN) = 1
Lining (PHI) = 1

2009-11-30T14:14:00.001+08:00

2009orld 10 ball Champiosnhip Semifinal match 1 - Race to 9:
Immonen (FIN) = 1
Lining (PHI) = 0

2009-11-30T14:10:00.001+08:00

World 10 ball championship -- for live scoring check out rayasports.com or worldtenball.com and click on the live scoring icon

2009-11-30T13:58:00.003+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match -- catch it on Studio 23, Star Sports or on live video stream on clubcapo.tv

2009-11-30T13:58:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match -- Antonio Lining - Philippines VS Mika Immonen - Finland. 2 PM Manila time.

2009-11-30T13:41:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship Semifinal match -- Antonio Lining - Philippines VS Mika Immonen - Finland. 2 PM Manila time. Catch it on Studio 23, Star Sports or on live video stream on clubcapo.tv

2009-11-30T13:29:00.001+08:00

2009 World 10 Ball Championship updates on semifinals and finals to start at 2:00 PM MNL time

Final Four in World Ten Ball

2009-11-30T08:37:00.002+08:00

FOUR players are still standing – two Europeans and two Filipinos. And one of them will be crowned this Monday, November 30, as the 2009 World Ten Ball Champion when the smoke of battle clears.

Mika Immonen of Finland, David Alcaide of Spain, and Lee Van Corteza and Antonio Lining of the Philippines won three matches each on Sunday to book their places in the Final Four. Each played tough matches in the Last 32, Sweet 16 and Magic Eight in a span of 10 hours at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

Immonen defeated Ruslan Chinakhov of Russia, 9-6, in the quarterfinals to become the first semifinalist in the tournament.

“I think on paper, everybody knows that I’ve been dominating in the billiard circuit, which is the reason why I really like my chances of winning this year’s World Ten Ball Championship,” said Immonen. “I’ve started to get my rhythm now, both on the regular and TV tables. Now it’s down to the last four and the best man will win the championship.”

Alcaide took down defending champion Darren Appleton, 9-6, to book his place in the semifinals.

Never touted as a favorite to win the only world pool championship for men this year, the Spaniard has gotten the attention of pool experts and fans in a hurry as he has downed many big names in the tournament. These included two crack Filipino players – Asian Games gold medalist Antonio Gabica and former world No.1 player Dennis Orcullo.

Corteza and Lining hurdled grueling tests before booking their places in the Final Four.

Several times, Corteza was pushed to the wall, but he survived each time. In his quarterfinal match with a tough Chinese rival in Li Hewen (conqueror of top seed Ralf Souquet), with the count at 7-all, he made a spectacular jump shot in sinking the No. 5 ball. From there, he ran out the match.

Minutes after Corteza’s win, Lining followed the suit with another cardiac encounter at the table. Down 6-8, the Filipino veteran campaigner took three straight racks against compatriot Warren Kiamco.

The two Europeans and two Filipinos will now square off in the semifinal round this Monday. Lining will meet Immonen in the first semifinal. Corteza will face Alcaide in the other semifinal.

14 Countries in Last 32

2009-11-29T10:44:00.005+08:00

THE field in the 2^nd World 10-Ball Championship is now down to the last 32 players, but surprise, surprise – 14 countries are still in the running for top honors. And anyone of their players could take home the world 10-ball title.

In a sharp departure from past WPA world championships, this year’s WTBC is not being dominated by the traditional powerhouses of pool. Great Britain, Germany, Chinese Taipei and the Philippines are still right up there. But so are China, Japan, France, Russia, Finland, Sweden, Indonesia and several other countries.

The one missing nation in the mix is the United States, whose remaining bets Johnny Archer, Charlie Williams and Oscar Dominguez were booted out in Saturday’s matches.

The big surprises are China and Japan, with three players each in the Last 32.

Li Hewen, Dang Jinhu and Wang Ming of China are showing that the new economic powerhouse can also wield a cue.

Satoshi Kawabata, Hayato Higikata and Naoyuki Ooi are finally proving that Japan is catching up with the world’s best in the sport. They all hurdled tough matches on Saturday to enter the Last 32.

On the other hand, traditional Asian powerhouse Chinese Taipei appears to have dropped a notch, at least in this world championship. The much-feared Yang Ching-Shun and Kuo Po-Cheng were booted out of the tournament in separate matches last night. Only former two-time world champion Chao Fong-pang and Chang Yu-Lung remain in the hunt.

Philippines Flexes Muscle

Host Philippines, on the other hand, flexed its muscle in the Round of 64. Eight Filipinos advanced to the Round of 32 despite a sluggish start and disappointing finish on Saturday.

Former national junior champion Jerico Banares got waylaid by former world 9-ball champion Thorsten Hohmann, 1-9, to become the first casualty in the money round.

Two-time world champion Ronnie Alcano and Asian Games gold medal winner Antonio Gabica were also shown the door by their foreign rivals in the night sessions.

But in between, the Filipinos were dominant. Antonio Lining opened the Filipinos’ account with a masterful 9-4 conquest of former US Open champion Corey Deuel of the United States.

The locals got rolling after that.

Jomar De Ocampo, easily the biggest surprise in the event, continued his remarkable run with an impressive 9-6 dismantling of Korean ace Jeong Young Hwa; Warren Kiamco outlasted Jalal Yousef of Venezuela, 9-8; Lee Vann Corteza held off Konstantin Stepanov of Russia, 9-7, in a TV table match; Marlon Manalo demolished Fu Jianbo of China, 9-4; Jundel Mazon escaped with a 9-8 win over Alain Martel of Canada; Elvis Calasang pulled away late in his 9-5 triumph over Markus Juva of Finland; and Dennis Orcollo routed Oscar Dominguez of the United States, 9-2.

Europe Coming Up Strong

But Europe showed that it is in dead earnest about retaining the world 10-ball title this year.

Imram Majid of Great Britain set the tone by rallying from a 1-5 hole to defeat double-world champion Ronnie Alcano, 9-5.

David Alcaide of Spain also spoiled the hometown celebration by edging Antonio Gabica, 9-8, in a thriller that had viewers commenting that the Spaniard could go far in the tournament.

Great Britain is leading the way for Europe with four players in the last 32: defending champion Darren Appleton, 2007 world 9-ball champion Daryl Peach, Jonni Fulcher and Majid.

Germany has a formidable cast of three players remaining: world No. 1 Ralf Souquet, former world 9-ball champion Thorsten Hohmann, and Thomas Engert.

The other countries represented in the Last 32 are Finland (Mika Immonen), Sweden (Marcus Chamat), Netherlands (Nick van den Berg), Russia (Ruslan Chinakhov), Spain (Alcaide), Indonesia (Alwi), Vietnam (Nguyen Anh Than), Czech Republic (Roman Hybler) and France (Stephan Cohen).

Filipinos Hungry for World Title

2009-11-29T10:41:00.002+08:00

THE entry of eight Filipinos into the last 32 has gotten local players and fans thinking dreamily of winning the world 10-ball crown this year.

Dennis Orcullo, a top Filipino player still searching for a world title, says, “We have a strong chance of winning it. But we still need to get the luck of the draw. I hope we won’t face fellow Filipino in the brackets soon.”

The Filipinos have a mixture of experience and youth and Lee Van Corteza hopes these ingredients will be a good blend in their quest to win the championship.

“Everyone of us want to win the championship, but it would be fun to watch if a Filipino player will finally hold it,” said Corteza, who saw the likes of Efren “Bata” Reyes, Alex Pagulayan and Ronnie Alcano holding the world championship trophies one after another.

Orcullo, Corteza, Warren Kiamco, Marlon Manalo, and Antonio Lining are the veterans in the Philippine contingent. They are backed up by young guns in Jomar de Ocampo, Jundel Mazon and Elvis Calasang.

In the round-of-32, the Filipinos will face tougher assignments.

Kiamco will battle former world champion Thorstenn Hohmann of Germany; Lining will meet Naoyuki Ooi of Japan; De Ocampo will face Nguyen Anh Tuan of Vietnam; Manalo will square off with the hottest player today; former world champion Mika Immonen of Finland; Mazon will tackle Ruslan Chinakhov of Russia; Calasang takes on Alwi of Indonesia; Corteza faces Chang Yu-Lung of Chinese-Taipei; and Orcullo will meet Hayato Hijikata of Japan.

Field Cut in Half at WTBC

2009-11-28T08:15:00.001+08:00

Above: Niels Feijen

AFTER three hard days of play the final field of 64 has now been determined. Thirty-two of these players are thus far undefeated and will be seeded into the final brackets according to their performance up to this point. The other 32 players are subjected to a blind draw to determine whom they will face in the matches today.

There will be many exciting matches on Saturday. Filipino hotshot Jericho Banares will play Thorsten Hohmann on the first TV match of the day. Other TV matches will feature Lee Van Corteza against Konstantin Stepanov and Oscar Dominguez against Dennis Orcullo.

The outside tables will find, among others, Corey Deuel squared off with Antonio Lining, Niels Feijen facing Mika Immonen in a match between two giants of the game who know one another well, Imran Majid versus Ronnie Alcano, Ralf Souquet against Ignacio Chavez, Marcus Chamat will play Kuo Po-Cheng and David Alcaide will have to fade Antonio Gabica.

We are now down to the single-elimination stages so every match is do or die. Fans will be watching to see which players are able to remain in their pace and which will succumb to the nerves of the moment. Pick your favorites now. In three short days we will have a new Champion of the World!

Top Guns Roar Into Round of 64

2009-11-28T08:12:00.002+08:00

Above: Ralf Souquet

THE big guns roared into the round of 64 of the World Ten Ball Championship.

The world’s No.1 player, the hottest player in the circuit, the money-game king, the reigning world 9-Ball champion and former world titlists are now in the next level of the tournament here at the World Trade Center.

Ralf Souquet of Germany, the top-rated player of the World Pool-Billiard Association, survived back-to-back knockout games. He capped his entry into the round of 64 by defeating Filipino Mario Tolentino, 9-4, in a televised match on Friday.

“I’ve been playing in my third straight knockout match, so my mentality is to go all out,” said Souquet, who gave special mention of Lee Van Corteza as the player to watch out for in the next round.

“The table has never been used so I guess the roll of the ball is quite different than my previous matches. But this win is so important for me as it will help me erase my setback in the first match. It’s a totally brand new game now,” he added.

The man known as “The Kaizer” was all business. After allowing Tolentino to get back with the Filipino’s three straight runs, the German ace shattered the game’s final deadlock at 4-all.

In the 10^th rack, Souquet made a spectacular jump shot to sink the green ball No.6 all the way to taking a 6-4 lead. He had his finest moment again in the 12^th rack. After sinking the No.2 blue ball in a wrong pocket, Souquet pounced on Tolentino’s missed combination on the No.3 and No.10. The double world champion completed a magnificent kick shot on the red No.3 to close in on finishing his opponent.

Immonen, regarded as the top favorite to win this year’s event, rediscovered his winning ways a day after losing his match to Japanese ace Hayato Hijikata, 6-9. Against Ibrahim Bin Amir, he asserted his dominance and didn’t give his Malaysian rival much of a chance of a possible upset and won 9-4.

The newly-crowned US Open champion felt happy to be in the round-of-64, but he could only hope the races could be longer than the usual race-to-9.

“For me, the longer the race, the better,” said Immonen. “It gives players a chance to figure out what to do after falling behind or losing a lead. But we cannot do anything about that. This is now the knockout stage and we’re all looking forward to it.”

Yang Ching-Shun, Asia’s money-game king, put aside his embarrassing shutout setback to Corteza Thursday, returned to his old, deadly form and ripped Jason Theron, 9-3.

Reigning world 9-Ball champion Daryl Peach also secured a seat in the round-of-64 following a tough 9-6 win over Andreas Koukiadakis.

Former world straight ball champions Thomas Engert and Oliver Ortmann had their share of triumphs as well to move up to the next round. Ortmann subdued Ricardo Jones, 9-5, while Engert blanked Victor Arpilleda, 9-0.

Former world champion Thorsten Hohmann and two-time world titlist Johnny Archer are also back in the spotlight after conquering their respective rivals.

Hohmann remained undefeated in the tournament when he hurdled past Marlon Manalo of the Philippines, 9-8, while Archer went first to the loser’s bracket but went on to win two in a row, the last a 9-5 demolition of Raymond Cruz of Canada.

Also advancing to the final 64 were Roman Hybler, who defeated Thomasz Kaplan, 9-6; Ben Nunan over MB Alias, 9-5; Nick van den Berg over Tey Choon Kiat, 9-5; Christoph Reintjes over Chang Pei-Wei, 9-5; Konstantin Stepanov of Russia over Serge Das, 9-4; Nguyen Anh Tuan over Tyler Eddy, 9-7; David Alcaide over Toru Kuribayashi, 9-3; Marcus Chamat over Emil Martinez, 9-5; Jalal Yousef over Mehmet Cankurt, 9-5; Oscar Dominguez over Mariusz Skoneczny of Poland, 9-4; and Erik Hjorleifson over Kazuo Furuta, 9-4.

Volcano Active Again, Favorites Advance

2009-11-28T08:10:00.002+08:00

Above: Ronnie Alcano

RONNIE Alcano, known around the world of pool as the Volcano, is active once more.

The lanky cue artist from Calamba, Laguna overcame three early scratches to beat Cheng Tsung-hua of Chinese Taipei, 9-4, advance into the knockout round of the World Ten Ball Championship, and send the rest of the field running for covers.

“I feel good about my chances,” said Alcano following his victory in the second TV table match on Friday at the World Trade Center in Manila. “I’m peaking at the right time.”

Alcano, seeking a third world championship in three different pool disciplines, got off to a shaky start.

He lost to rising Chinese pool star Dang Jin-hu on opening day, 7-9, but rebounded mightily the following day and eliminated last year’s semifinalist and best Filipino finisher Demosthenes “Plong-Plong” Pulpul, 9-5.

Alcano won the World 9-Ball Championship in 2006 and the World 8-Ball Championship in 2007.

Ralf Souquet of Germany also kept his bid to complete his collection of the pool’s Triple Crown with a similar 9-4 triumph over Mario Tolentino. Souquet won the world 9-ball title in 1996 and the world 8-ball crown last year.

It was a tight match at the onset with both players trading unforced errors. But Souquet began to pull away after potting two tough shots on the 10^th rack while holding a precarious 5-4 lead.

He first pocketed the six-ball with a jump shot and followed it up with an ultra-thin cut that sent the brown seven to the side pocket and opened up the table.

Tolentino was the second Filipino victim of Souquet in as many days. The world’s top ranked player eliminated qualifier Steve Villamil on Thursday, 9-3, after bowing to Thomasz Kaplan of Poland in the opener, 6-9.

The other fancied players to advance through the backdoor were Mika Immonen of Finland, Marcus Chamat of Sweden, Johnny Archer of the United States, Daryl Peach of Great Britain, Yang Ching-shun of Chinese Taipei, Nick van den Berg of the Netherlands, Oliver Ortmann of Germany and former national junior champion Jerico Banares.

Immonen defeated Ibrahim bin Amir of Malaysia, 9-4, Chamat downed Emil Martinez, 9-5, Archer eliminated Raymond Cruz of Canada, 9-5, Peach beat Andreas Koukiadakis of Greece, 9-6, Yang waylaid Jason Theron of Republic of South Africa, 9-3, van den Berg ousted Tey Choon Kiat of Singapore, 9-5, Ortmann toppled Ricardo Jones, 9-5, and Banares got the better of Sandor Tot of Serbia, 9-5.

Antonio Lining didn’t waste time to reach the next phase, sending compatriot Carlo Biado to the loser’s bracket with a 9-4 win.

Jundel Mazon secured a spot in the next round with a 9-2 win over Bruno Muratore of Italy. He also eliminated Phil Stojanovic of Croatia on Thursday, 9-6, after losing to Banares in the opener.

There were also surprises on the final day of the group stage.

Unheralded qualifier Jomar De Ocampo entered the knockout round at the expense of compatriot and highest seeded local Jeffrey “Jeff Bata” De Luna, 9-6, while Ricky Yang of Indonesia ousted former WPC finalist Roberto Gomez, 9-5.

Day of Surprises and Stunning Pool

2009-11-27T08:34:00.000+08:00

Above: Dang Jin Hu and Lee Van Corteza

DAY TWO was a day of surprises and stunning pool. And none was more surprising and stunning than the feat of Lee Van Corteza of the Philippines.

To the disbelief of the sizable crowd that expected a thriller down to the finish, Corteza completely shut out Asian money-game king and much-feared Yang Ching-Shun of Chinese-Taipei, 9-0, to move into the round of 64.

Corteza’s play was absolute perfection. His game plan was simple – to keep his opponent on his seat and never allow him to get going.

Although Yang won the lag and was the first one to break, he couldn’t get a good opening. This opened the way for Corteza to rack up quickly to a 3-0 lead.

When the match turned into a battle of safety shots in the fourth rack, it was Corteza who again prevailed. And that became the theme throughout the match.

“I’ve played Yang several times over the years,” said Corteza, many times a gold medalist in the Southeast Asian Games. “But this is the only time that I caught him on a bad day. But that’s the game of pool. Even the best sometimes run out of luck -- and lose.”

The second big surprise Thursday was Dang Jin Hu of China, who made it to the main draw as a first alternate from the qualifiers. On Day One, he took down double-world champion Ronnie Alcano, leaving many in disbelief. On Day Two, he got them believing and a little awed. This time, he took down two-time world champion Johnny Archer of the United States, 9-5.

The third big surprise was Hayato Hijikata’s smooth and easy victory over Mika Immonen of Finland, the hottest player in international pool this year and the leading money winner. Hijikata led their match from the start and never allowed his formidable opponent to get untracked. When the smoke of battle cleared, the Japanese had prevailed by the score of 9-6.

Corteza, Dang and Hijikata head the cast of notables who earned entry into the round of 64, which include defending champion Darren Appleton, Niels Feijen, Dennis Orcullo and Antonio Gabica.

Appleton coasted to the next level trouble free with a 9-2 win over MB Alias of Brunei.

“Six more wins to defend the title,” Appleton boldly declared in an interview after the match.

Appleton, who vowed to prove to everyone that his title conquest last year was no fluke, dominated the game from start to finish.

“I think for a first timer, he seems OK,” said Appleton, referring to his rival from Brunei. “He had some good shots, but he had rookie jitters as well. I feel more comfortable now, but there’s a lot pressure building up game by game.”

Also sailing through to the next round was Dennis Orcullo. The man who ruled the Predator 10-Ball International Championship this year beat Thomas Kaplan, the man who beat the top seed of the WTBC. Orcullo prevailed 9-6.

Many were impressed by Orcullo’s play, except the player himself.

“I struggled in my first two games,” said Orcullo, referring to his two victories. “I’m still adjusting to the competition, particularly the table that we’re using. But I will get used to it.”

Other double winners and early entrants into the round of 64 were: Kuo Po-Cheng of Chinese Taipei, Kenny Kwok of Hong Kong, world junior champion Ruslan Chinakhov of Russia, Yukio Akakariyama of Japan, and Ernesto Dominguez of Mexico.

Kuo had a relatively easy time against Filipino Mario Tolentino, as he disposed of him by the score of 9-4.

Kwok stunned Nick van den Berg of the Netherlands, 9-3; Chinakhov shot down former straight pool champion Oliver Ortmann of Germany, 9-4; Akakariyama nipped Serge Das of Belgium, 9-7; and Dominguez surprised 2007 world 9-ball champion Daryl Peach, 9-5.

Also advancing were Neils Feijen of the Netherlands, who whipped Chang Pei-Wei of Chinese-Taipei, 9-5; Naoyuki Ooi, who nipped Vincent Facquet of France, 9-8; Ignacio Chavez, who won over Nguyen Anh Tuan of Vietnam, 9-5; Fu Jian Bo of China, who nosed out Marcus Chamat of Sweden, 9-8; Imran Majid, who defeated David Alcaide of Spain, 9-5; Li Hewen of China, who outlasted Jomar de Ocampo, 9-6; and Mario He of Austria, who subdued Mehmet Cankurt, 9-3.

While the big guns and surprise entries have already secured seats in the round-of-64, a highly-touted player crashed out of the tournament early – former US Open champion Shane Van Boening of the United States.

Van Boening lost to Konstantin Stepanov of Russia, 6-9, a day after losing his opening match against Nguyen Anh Tuan of Vietnam, 8-9.

Demosthenes Pulpul, a semifinalist in the first WTBC, exited early this time, falling to fellow Filipino Ronnie Alcano (9-5), who was also fighting for his life in the tournament.

Action continues this Friday, with Alcano and many other players fighting on to stay in contention for the world championship. Day Three is called Judgment Day because the cast of the Last 64 will be fully decided. It’s win-or-go home for all players sporting 1-win-1-loss records.

Souquet, Alcano Upset in Opening Round

2009-11-26T07:36:00.001+08:00

Above: Ralf Souquet and Ronnie Alcano

WINNING a third world title has become an uphill challenge for Ralf Souquet of Germany and Ronnie Alcano of the Philippines.

They learned this quickly on Day One of the World Ten Ball Championship as they suffered stinging setbacks against their respective foes at the World Trade Center. The two top guns in the tournament are now in a win-or-go-home situation in their loser’s bracket matches on Thursday, November 26.

It was Thomasz Kaplan of Poland who delivered the stunning blow against Souquet. Down 2-6, the Polish cue artist crept his way back into the contest, leveled the score at 6-6, and then stormed ahead to victory.

Kaplan racked up seven straight games to advance to the winner’s bracket of Group A in the WTBC.

“We’re in a group where anybody can beat anybody,” said Souquet, who is still confident of his chances of going to the next level. “It could happen even to the best players out there. He was composed in coming back. I knew he’s capable of winning because I’ve faced him in the European circuit.”

Alcano, world 9-ball champion in 2006 and world 8-ball champion in 2007, was similarly shocked in his triple-crown bid by a player who made it to the main tournament via the tough qualifying stage – Dang Jin Hu of China.

Dang dictated the match early, then held off Alcano in the endgame before prevailing, 9-7.

“That’s just the way it is. Only one man should win, not two,” said Alcano, who accidentally sank the orange No.5 ball on a different corner while trailing 8-7.

His Chinese rival quickly took advantage and went for the kill, sending the favored Filipino cue artist to the brink of elimination.

The prize of staying in the hunt for an ambitious third world title resumes Thursday for Alcano, who will next face compatriot Demosthenes Pulpul in a knockout match.

Pulpul, last year’s surprise semifinalist, lost to two-time world champion Johnny Archer of the United States, 7-9.

Pulpul also had tough luck, missing several shots that he made during his miraculous run to the Final Four last year.

“I missed three important shots. For seven games, I couldn’t get a good opening,” said Pulpul.

Pulpul’s crucial error happened in the 15^th rack while trying to shatter the game’s final deadlock at 7-7. He scratched the cue ball, allowing Archer to finish off the match.

In another upset, Nguyen Anh Tuan of Vietnam defeated former US Open champion Shane van Boening of the US in a hill-hill encounter, 9-8.

Another victim of the upset ax was world No.7 Jeff de Luna, who lost to Mehmet Cankurt of Turkey, 9-5.

While some Filipinos lost their matches, most others in the field finished off their first-round opponents. One such was Jomar de Ocampo, a player who entered the WTBC main draw via an exhausting qualifying stage. He came from behind to nip highly-touted Wang Hung-Hsiang of Chinese-Taipei, 9-8. It was sweet victory for De Ocampo, who had to battle back from 4-8 down before pulling off an upset win.

Dennis Orcullo had an easier time beating fellow Pinoy Steve Villamil, 9-6.

Defending champion Darren Appleton of Great Britain was a picture of focus in his game against Tey Choon Kiat of Singapore. The British ace won, 9-5, and appears set to advance to the round of 64.

“I feel good. I hope I feel better in Thursday’s game,” said Appleton, who ruled last year’s event at the Philippine International Convention Center.

The pride of the Netherlands --Neils Feijen and Nick van den Berg – also served notice of their title aspirations and made short work of their respective rivals.

Feijen, ranked No. 3 in the world, scuttled Scott Higgins of Great Britain, 9-1, to quickly enter the winner’s bracket. Van den Berg had a similar victory over Kim Wong Dae of Korea, 9-1, to join his compatriot in the winner’s bracket.

Chinese-Taipei’s Kuo Po Cheng outplayed Matjaz Erculz of Slovenia, 9-4.

Other opening day winners were: Mario Tolentino of the Philippines over Roman Hybler of Czech Republic (9-8); Kenny Kwok of Hong Kong over Ben Nunan of Australia (9-6); MB Alias of Brunei over Martin Kempter of Austria (9-8); Chang Pei-Wei of Chinese-Taipei over Elvis Calasang of the Philippines (9-3); Naoyuki Ooi of Japan over Allan Cuartero of the Philippines (9-5); Vincent Facquet of France over Christopher Feintjes of Germany (9-3); Ruslan Chinakhov of Russia over Han Hao Xiang of China (9-8); Oliver Ortmann of Germany over Ibrahim Bin Amir of Malaysia (9-1); Hayao Hijikata of Japan over Ricardo Jones of Great Britain (9-4); Mika Immonen of Finland over Basher Hussain of Qatar (9-1); Ignacio Chavez of Mexico Konstantin Stepanov of Russia (9-4); Yukio Akakariyama of Japan over Marko Vogel of Germany (9-8); Serge Das of Belgium over Tyler Edey of Canada (9-6); Marcus Chamat of Sweden over Bahram Lofty of Denmark (9-3); Imran Majid of Great Britain over Frailin Guanica of Venezuela (9-6); David Alcaide over Emil Martinez of the Philippines (9-3); Li Hewen of China over Jalal Youse of Venezuela (9-7); Mario He of Austria over Toh Lian Han of Singapore (9-8); Karl Boyes of Great Britain over Raymond Cruz of Canada (9-4); Cheng Tsung-Hua of Chinese-Taipei over Abdulah Fawal of Qatar (9-2); Daryl Peach of Great Britain over Lee Po Soon of Malaysia (9-8); Lee Van Corteza of the Philippines over Vegar Kristiansen of Norway (9-4); Yang Ching-Shun of Chinese-Taipei over Andreas Koukiadakis of Greece (9-4); Alain Martel of Canada over Phil Stojanovic of Croatia (9-4); Jericho Banares of the Philippines over compatriot Jundel Mazon (9-6); Jeong Young Hwa of Korea over Sandor Tot of Serbia (9-5); Bruno Muratore of Italy over Shaun Wilke of USA (9-4); Antonio Gabica of the Philippines over Ralf Mund of Germany (9-2); Oscar Dominguez of the USA over Kazuo Furuta of Japan (9-4); Wang Ming of China over Widi Harsoyo of Indonesia (9-7); Cheng Yu Lung of Chinese-Taipei over Ramil Gallego of the Philippines (9-8); Craig Osborne of Great Britain over Rashid Al Mari of Qatar (9-1); and Marlon Manalo of the Philippines over Stevie Moore of the USA (9-4).

Philippine Pool Ends Row

2009-11-25T12:13:00.001+08:00

Above: BSCP Chairman Yen Makabenta and Bugsy Promotions President Perry Mariano

BSCP Vice President Edgar Acaba delivered the right adage on the right occasion to set things right in Philippine pool.

“United we stand, divided we fall,” said Acaba during the press conference of the World Ten Ball Championship (WTBC) Tuesday at the Heritage Hotel.

Those six words spiked by the prodding of emcee Ted Lerner officially ended a near two-year standoff in Philippine billiards that has divided the local pool community.

BSCP chairman Yen Makabenta and Bugsy Promotions President Perry Mariano, two of the key figures in the row, sealed it with a handshake in front of some of the biggest names in pool and a horde of sportswriters and photographers.

For Makabenta, communication was the key.

“We never stopped talking to each other to resolve the issues,” said Makabenta, also the chairman of Raya Sports.

Mariano for his part said, “It’s for the benefit of the players that we end this misunderstanding.”

It’s a huge moment in Philippine pool and a big shot in the arm for the WTBC. The unification gives top players like double world champion Ronnie Alcano, Dennis Orcullo and Lee Vann Corteza a chance to compete in the world stage. They now join the likes of Asian Games gold medalist Antonio Gabica, Marlon Manalo and Jeffrey de Luna in carrying the colors of the country in the only world pool championship this year.

German Ralf Souquet, the event’s top seed and current world No. 1 in the WPA rankings, thinks that this year’s WTBC is one of the toughest tournaments to win in history.

“The field is very deep especially with the top Filipino players competing,” said Souquet, who is also the reigning world 8-ball champ.

Orcullo, whose world ranking plummeted from No. 1 to never mind because of the standoff, couldn’t hide his excitement.

“I’m very happy because I can play again in the world championship,” said Orcullo.

Orcullo and Marlon Manalo are widely considered as the best players in the world without a world title.

Deeper, Better WTBC Gets Underway

2009-11-25T12:09:00.000+08:00

Above: The World Ten Ball presscon

DEFENDING champion Darren Appleton of Great Britain believes a win in the 2^ndWorld Ten Ball Championship (WTBC) will be sweeter the second time around.

“I’m not saying that last year was not great. I just think that the competition this year will be up by another level,” he said.

World’s top ranked player Ralf Souquet of Germany goes to the extreme.

“This could be the best-ever field in world championship history,” said Souquet, who is gunning for pool’s version of the Triple Crown. He is the 1996 world champion in 9-ball and the reigning world champ in 8-ball.

Souquet and Appleton are the top two seeds in the WTBC, which unfolds with the group stages on Wednesday at the World Trade Center in Manila. Souquet will face Thomasz Kaplan of Poland in Group A while Appleton will play Tey Choon Kiat of Singapore in Group B in the first round.

The 128 players in the main draw are divided into 16 groups headed by the top seeds based on the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPBA) ranking.

In order, they are Souquet, Appleton, Niels Feijen of the Netherlands, Mika Immonen of Finland, Shane Van Boening of the United States, Marcus Chamat of Sweden, Jeffrey De Luna, Demosthenes Pulpul, Daryl Peach of Great Britain, Jerico Banares, Ko Pin-yi of Chinese Taipei, Marlon Manalo, Charlie Williams of the United States, Radoslaw Babica of Poland and Lu Hui-chan and Fu Che-wei of Chinese Taipei.

The first phase of the tournament will be double elimination with the four survivors from each group advancing to the next round. With only eight players per group, two wins are enough to move on.

The Last 64 will be single elimination. Loser goes home.

Chances are there will be a lot of Filipinos in the knockout round. There are 20 of them in the group stage – Dennis Orcollo and Steve Villamil in Group A, Allan Cuartero in Group C, Emil Martinez in Group F, De Luna and Jomar De Ocampo in Group G, Pulpul and Ronnie Alcano in Group H, Lee Vann Corteza in Group I, Banares and Jundel Mazon in Group J, Antonio Gabica in Group K, Manalo and Ramil Gallego in Group L, Roberto Gomez in Group M, Warren Kiamco and Michael Feliciano in Group N, Carlo Biado and Antonio Lining in Group O, and Victor Arpilleda in Group P.

Pulpul, a semifinalist and the best Filipino finisher in last year’s WTBC, will face tough opposition to make it to the knockout round.

The luck of the draw, or his lack of it, pits him against former world 9-ball champ and many-time US Open winner Johnny Archer of the United States in the first round of Group H.

If he wins, he will be up against the winner between two-time world champion Ronnie Alcano and Chinese Dang Jin-hu. If he loses, he will face the loser between Alcano and Dang in a knockout match.

Pulpul’s group also includes 2007 World Pool Championship semifinalist Karl Boyes of Great Britain and Taiwanese Cheng Tsung-Hua.

De Luna, the top ranked Filipino in the field at seventh, will have an easier time as he goes up against Mehmet Cankurt of Turkey in the first round of Group G.

His group also includes De Ocampo, who will first meet Wang Hung-Hsiang of Chinese Taipei.

Orcullo, arguably the best player in the world without a major tournament title, opens his bid against Villamil in Group A. A win will set him up for a potential showdown against Souquet.

There will also be an all-Filipino affair in the opening round of Group J with Banares taking on Mazon.

Manalo, another marquee player without a major title, tackles American Stevie Moore in the first round of Group L. Waiting for him in the next round is either former world champion Thorsten Hohmann of Germany or Ryu Seung Woo of Korea.

Gallego is on the other half of the draw in Group L. His first assignment will be Chang Yu-Lung of Chinese Taipei.

The other first round matches involving Filipinos pit Cuartero against Naoyuki Ooi of Japan in Group C, Martinez against David Alcaide of Spain in Group F, Corteza against Vegar Kristiansen of Norway in Group I, Gabica against Ralf Mund of Germany in Group K, Gomez against Alphonse Hoge of South Africa in Group M, Kiamco against Phil Burford of Great Britain and Feliciano against Rafael Guzman of Spain in Group N, Lining against Lu Hui-chan of Chinese Taipei and Biado against Liu Haitao of China in Group O, and Arpilleda against Kasper Kristoffersen of Denmark in Group P.

While the locals have the numbers, the visitors have the titles.

All four of the world championships in pool belong to European players. Peach holds the world 9-ball title while Feijen is the current world straight pool champ. And Appleton and Souquet own the world 10-ball and 8-ball crowns, respectively.

But none of them is hotter than Immonen.

The player called the “Iceman” because of his cool demeanor recently won his second straight US Open title. He also ruled two other international tournaments this year.

Immonen may prove too much for Basher Hussain of Qatar in the opening round of Group D.

Peach is heavily favored against Lee Poh Soon of Malaysia in the opener of Group I. Feijen, however, is expected to have his hands full against former snooker ace Scott Higgins of Great Britain in Group C.

Also fancied to advance are usual suspects Kuo Po-cheng of Chinese Taipei from Group A, Nick van den Berg of the Netherlands from Group B, Chang Pei-Wei of Chinese Taipei from Group C, Oliver Ortmann of Germany from Group D, Yang Ching-Shun of Chinese Taipei from Group I, Ricky Yang of Indonesia from Group M, Corey Deuel of the United States from Group N, and Thomas Engert of Germany from Group P.

Lining Rebounds, Martinez Makes It

2009-11-24T17:42:00.000+08:00

From l to r: Antonio Lining and Emil Martinez

JUNDEL Mazon was right after all. It’s hard to beat Antonio Lining in a tight match.

A day after getting blown out by Mazon, Lining grinded his way to the WTBC main draw with a pulsating 9-8 victory over Han Hao Xiang of China in Qualifier 8 final Sunday night at the Star Billiards Center.

Mazon related on Saturday that the key to beat Lining is to build a big lead early in the match. Han failed to do that and Lining made him pay.

The hill-hill thriller lasted 2 ½ hours, the longest in the qualifying sessions with two events to play.

The pride of Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro became the sixth Filipino qualifier in the only world championship in pool this year. The number of Filipinos in the main draw also swelled to 17. The locals took the last four seats in the qualifying sessions.

Earlier Sunday, Emil Martinez toppled Kazuo Furuta of Japan in the Qualifier 7 final, 9-5, to keep the Filipino streak alive.

It was easily the biggest triumph in the pool career of Martinez , a virtual nobody heading into the competition.

The other Filipino qualifiers are Ramil Gallego, Michael Feliciano, Roberto Gomez and Mazon. The only foreigners to enter the main draw through the qualifying round are Wang Ming of China and Chang Pei-wei of Chinese Taipei .

It’s a pretty remarkable run by the Filipinos considering that more than a hundred foreign players entered the qualifying sessions, including those from noted pool playing nations like Japan , Chinese Taipei, Great Britain , Indonesia and China .

Filipinos Rule Qualifiers 5 and 6

2009-11-22T17:56:00.000+08:00

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.

WTBC Feature: Star Billiards Center: A Pool Player’s Paradise

2009-11-22T17:37:00.000+08:00

Pictured above: The Star Billiards Center and exterior

BILLIARDS players and enthusiasts from all over the globe are having a grand time at the bigger and better Star Billiards Center in Quezon City.

“This is a pool player’s paradise,” said veteran sports anchor Ted Lerner, who accompanied World 8-ball Champion Ralf Souquet of Germany in visiting the state-of-the-art venue of the qualifying sessions for the World Ten Ball Championship (WTBC).

Souquet is one of the fancied players in the WTBC slated on Nov. 25 to 30 at the World Trade Center in Manila.

“Star Billiards Center is the only place dedicated to billiards where everything is free,” said Lerner.

Almost everything. Of course, the imported cue sticks on display there are for sale.

Here are some of Star Billiards Center’s freebies: internet use, overseas calls to the United States and Canada, mobile phone charging (any brand), soft drinks and biscuits.

The players can play at any of 40 world-class pool tables for free. There’s also a giant plasma television to keep spectators from getting bored.

Its owner and Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines president Sebastian “Baste” Chua also added a portion to the left side of the lavish pool hall where fans can get a bird’s eye-view of actions on 16 Brunswick tables.

The down-to-earth billiards patron shelled out nearly P10-million to complete the addition.

Selected actions on that side of the pool hall can be seen online through www.clubcapo.tv, a professional provider of high-quality video streaming of pool and other events.

Feliciano, Chang Earn WTBC Spots

2009-11-21T09:31:00.001+08:00

From l to r: Michael Feliciano and Chang Pei Wei

MICHAEL Feliciano of the Philippines and Chang Pe Wei of Chinese Taipei won spots in the WTBC in Day 2 of the ongoing qualifiers at the Star Billiards Center in Quezon City.

Feliciano, a native of Laguna province and a member of the Bugsy Promotions group of players, took Qualifier 3 by beating Dang Jinhu of China 9-6. He showed poise and skill in winning six straight matches against a tough field of Asian and European players.

Dang was a runner-up for the second straight qualifier he joined. He is a leading candidate for any spot that may open up should any player withdraw from the main draw of the WTBC.

In Qualifier 4, the usually formidable contingent of Taiwanese players showed their class. Chang, the runner-up in the 2004 World Pool Championship, outclassed Mick Hill of Great Britain by the score of 9-2.

Hill was impressive in his run to the finals with victories over two Filipino veterans, Antonio Lining and Mario Tolentino.

Feliciano and Chang earned $500 each for their triumphs in the qualifiers.

Action continues today (November 21) at the Star Billiards Center with two spots up for competition in Qualifiers 5 and 6.

China, Philippines Take First Two Qualifiers

2009-11-20T16:29:00.000+08:00

From l to r: Ramil Gallego and Wang Ming

WANG Ming of China and Ramil Gallego of the Philippines took top honors on Thursday in the first two qualifiers of the 2nd World Ten Ball Championship at the Star Billiards Center in Quezon City.

Wang beat compatriot Dang Jinhu 9-8 to book a seat in the main draw (Stage 2) of the WTBC. In addition, he was awarded the qualifier purse of $500.

Qualifier 1 was a stunner as the 10-man Chinese contingent took all four places in the semifinals, outlasting entries from Chinese Taipei, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, India, France and Great Britain. The other Chinese semifinalists were Dai Yung and Guo Hoa.

In Qualifier 2, it was the turn of host Philippines to dominate. Ramil Gallego, Roberto Gomez, Arnel Bautista and Rodrigo Geronimo took all the places in the Final Four.

In the finals, international veteran Gallego hurdled past former WPC runner-up Roberto Gomez, 9-7, to take the WTBC spot and the qualifier prize of $500.

Action continues today Friday, with Qualifiers 3 and 4 up for competition.

Touch of Filipino Culture Opens WTBC Qualifier

2009-11-20T16:07:00.000+08:00

Congressman Bongbong Marcos takes the opening break

Foreign players and guests got a glimpse of Filipino culture at the opening on Thursday of the five-day qualifying round of the 2^nd World Ten Ball Championship at the Star Billiards Center in Quezon City.

Members of the Kalinangan Dance Company treated the crowd at the new state-of-the-art Star Billiards facility with their rendition of the national anthem and an assortment of folk dances and songs.

They even picked foreign partners in dancing the “tinikling”, to the delight of the guest of honor, Ilocos Norte representative Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

The Kalinangan Dance Company is composed of students from E. Rodriguez, Jr. High School and led by its adviser Dante Ballesteros.

Marcos pocketed the 10-ball on the ceremonial break to the delight of the crowd. He addressed a few words of welcome to the players and guests, and then declared: “Let the games begin!”

A total of 128 players joined the two qualifiers for the day, with foreign entries reaching triple digits. Leading the way were 22 Japanese, 14 Indonesians, 10 Chinese, 8 Taiwanese, and 8 Bruneians. There was also a sprinkling of European players, most notably two Frenchmen and one Albanian.

The biggest batch of entries came from the Philippines, with some 25 Filipinos vying for the two spots up for grabs. Former Asian Games gold medalists Gandy Valle and Antonio “Nickoy” Lining and Asian 9-Ball Tour leg winner Ramil “Bebeng” Gallego were among the Filipino hopefuls seeing action today.

The WTBC qualifying round will run for five days, Nov. 19 to 23. There will be two qualifying stages each day with the winners advancing to the main draw, which begins on Nov. 25 at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.