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Biado fightback falls short as Ko takes World 10 Ball crown

Ko (center with Biado on the right.) Image copyright Bob Guerrero.

GENERAL SANTOS CITY – The dream of a Filipino men’s world 10 ball champion will have to wait another year.


On Saturday in front of a packed crowd at the atrium of SM City GenSan, Ko Pin Yi of Chinese Taipei withstood a ferocious comeback to defeat Filipino Carlo Biado 11 – 9 in the final to win the MP Cup 2015 World 10 Ball Championship. He takes home US$40,000 while Biado settles for US$20,000.


The victory stops Chinese Taipei’s three-match losing streak in World Championship finals to Filipinos. Efren Reyes beat Hao Ping Chang in the 1999 9 Ball final in Cardiff, Alex Pagulayan outplayed Pei Wei Chang in the 2004 9 ball title match in Taiwan, and five years ago Francisco Bustamante topped Kuo Po Cheng in the 9 ball final in Qatar.


Ko and Biado produced an entertaining, high-quality final that could have been a one-sided rout had it not been for Biado’s fighting spirit.


The Taiwanese shooter bolted to early leads of 4-0 and 6-2 before Biado jawed a long two ball in rack nine which allowed Ko to go up 7-2.


After the Pinoy unluckily scratched into the side pocket from an acute angle in the next rack, Ko ran out for 8-2 then took the next to make it a seemingly unassailable 9-2 margin.


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But then the Pool gods decided to have some fun.


Biado got into a groove and reeled off six racks in a row as Ko’s luck deserted him. The highlight of the run was a jump shot on the one ball in rack fifteen that ignited a run-out.


With his lead down to a solitary rack, Ko looked vulnerable but was able to reach the hill in rack eighteen, 10-8. In the very next game Ko faced what looked like an elementary layout. But his nerves betrayed him and to the delight of the massive crowd, jangled the six ball, allowing Biado to pull to within one again, 10-9.


However, this being an alternate-break tournament, Ko broke in the next rack, and ran out for the victory.


Despite the loss, Biado was not displeased with his play.


“Masama ang break ko until rack five. Then nakuha ko yung laro ko pero unlucky talaga. Maganda ang nilaro niya.”


“Masaya ako na kahit lumamang siya, lumaban ako,” added the La Union-born Biado, who was once a tee boy and sometime caddie in the Villamor Air Base Golf course.


Ko becomes the fifth Taiwanese player to win a world title after Chao Fong Pang, a two-time world 9 ball champ, Wu Jia Qing, who won 8 ball and 9 ball world crowns, Chang Jung Lin, an 8 ball titleist, and Taiwan’s female pool legend Shin Mei Lu, who won a pair of women’s world 9 ball championships.


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Ko defeated countryman Yang Ching Shun in the quarters then eliminated his own brother, Ko Ping Chung, 11-2 in the semifinals to reach the titular showdown. In the quarters Ko Ping Chung had blown out Filipino Warren Kiamco 11-3 in the last eight.


Pinoy Johann Chua also had high hopes going into the last day but he was ousted by Spaniard David Alcaide 11-9 in the quarters. Down 10-9 Chua had a chance to level but scratched on the break, allowing Alcaide to run out. Alcaide was subsequently dumped 11-2 in the semis by Biado.


This event is the fourth edition of the World 10 ball championship and the first since 2011. Every event was held in the Philippines but there has yet to be a Pinoy champ. Darren Appleton won the inaugural event in 2008, Mika Immonen defeated Lee Vann Corteza in the final a year later, and in 2011 Dutchman Huidji See took the crown.


Most of the players will now play in a doubles event in GenSan that Congressman Manny Pacquiao will sponsor just as he did with this tournament. It is hoped that Pacquiao will continue holding pool tournaments, especially in the light of the announcement of his lucrative mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather.


Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFan.