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China takes on Korea in Women’s 10 Ball Final Four

After a dramatic Day 4 in the Yalin Women's World 10 Ball Championship, four ladies from two nations were left standing at Robinson's Galleria.

Friday's final day will feature two semifinal clashes, one between Koreans Ga Young Kim and Yu Ram Cha, and another pitting Chinese stars Chen Si Ming and Fu Xiao Fang.

Ga Young Kim snuffed out Jasmin Ouschan's hopes of a second 10 Ball world title by blitzing her 8-5 in their quarterfinal. The match was a bit of revenge for the Korean, who lost to the Austrian in the final of the 2010 tournament.

Ga has now made the semifinal of this tournament three years in a row, a remarkable record in a sport where few players are able to dominate.

Cha dispatched Chinese Taipei's Lui Shan Lai, 8-4 in the other quarterfinal to set up the all-Korean semi.

Fu Xiao Fang beat fellow Chinese Liu Sha Sha in their quarterfinal, 8-6. It was an amicable affair, with Fu not bothering to celebrate at all after the final 10 ball. Instead she and Liu to proceeded to replay a shot one of them encountered during the match.

But the most thrilling quarterfinal battle took place between Chen of China and Tan Ho Yun of Chinese Taipei on the main TV table after the coverage had concluded.

Tan, who got into the event via a qualifier, led 7-6 and looked sure to run out until she overran her position on the nine ball. She tried playing safe but underhit the shot and failed to drive a ball into a rail, which is a foul. That gave ball-in-hand to Chen. She ran out to force a final rack decider.

A safety battle resulted in rack fifteen and after Chen left the six ball open on a safety attempt, it looked like Tan would run out. But Tan's position from six to seven left her an awkward cut. She correctly played the ensuing shot as a "two-way shot" hiding the cue ball behind the eight in case she missed, which she did.

Chen was snookered, with an eight ball a few inches in front of the cue ball and the seven ball less than a foot from the corner pocket but seven feet away. The willowy 18-year old grabbed her jump cue and nailed the jump shot to the astonishment of the crowd.

She then calmly dropped the eight and nine balls and after seeing the ten disappear, let out a shriek of delight.

The best Filipino finisher was Rubilen Amit, who bowed in the Round-of-16 to Lui Shan Lai, 8-2. In the previous round, Amit ousted the only other Pinay to make the single-elimination phase, Cheska Centeno, 8-5.

Centeno actually led the match 4-2 and she could have gone up 5-3 but jawed a 10 ball with the mechanical bridge.

The thirteen-year old from Zamboanga is naturally talented but has much to learn about the nuances of the game, such as safety play, positioning, and pushing out. At one point in the rack she called a carom from the three to the eight on the side pocket. The shot looked impossible and her scratch on the attempt confirmed the suspicions of everyone watching.

But her vast talent is not to be ignored, and her cheerful, carefree nature on the table will hold her in good stead going forward.

Defending champ Kelly Fisher's drive to win a second consecutive crown was scuppered in the round of 32 when she fell to Chinese Taipei qualifier Wei Tzu Chien.

Pan Xiao Ting, another Chinese vet who was tipped by many to go all the way, was dismissed by Tan in the round-of-16.

Before the play began on the TV table, a charity 8 Ball match was held to raise money for ABS-CBN's Sagip Kapamilya. Their public service entity will send the proceeds to flood victims.

Two teams were created, one captained by Chen Si Ming and the other by Efren Reyes. Dragon Promotions' Cindy Lee, OB Cues marketing head Shane Sinnett, Yalin Billiards president Eric Ding, ABS-CBN Sports' Peter Musngi, and two raffle winners comprised the teams.

Reyes' team came out on top, with Reyes sinking the winning 8 ball with a splendid table-length cross-corner bank.

According to Dragon Promotions' Charlie Williams, US$1,000 was raised for the victims.

The race-to-nine semifinals will be aired live on Studio 23 on Friday, August 24, 2 pm, with the race-to-10 final following right after.

For more info, visit www.womensworld10ball.com.