Twelve Pinoys reach World 9 Ball Championship round of 64
The dream of another Filipino world 9 Ball champ is very much alive after the double-elimination group stages of the 2014 World Pool-Billiard Association World 9 Ball Championship in Doha, Qatar.
The dozen Pinoy hopefuls, including top bets Dennis Orcollo, Lee Vann Corteza, and last year's runner-up Antonio Gabica have broken into the single-elimination stage of this year's competition at the Al Saad Sports Club. The twelve, counting Filipino-Canadian Alex Pagulayan, are the most players from any nation in the knockout stage. Chinese Taipei has seven, the second-most. The round of 64 lags off on Wednesday.
There is a bit of a cloud on the horizon though: ten of the twelve are in the upper half of the bracket, with only Gabica and Ramil Gallego to be found in the lower half. That makes an all-Filipino final almost impossible, but increases the odds of having one Pinoy in the championship match.
Leading the charge is former 8 Ball world champ Orcollo, who has a tricky opening match against dangerous Japanese pro Ohi Naoyuki. Orcollo hurdled his group matches with Canadian Jason Klatt and Ko Ping Chung of Taipei to make the last 64. The Filipino number one will likely face Ko's brother, Po Pin Yi in the round of 32.
Corteza has a far easier opening assignment against local bet Waleed Majed. The Davaoeño had to wriggle through the loser's bracket in his group after an opening loss to countryman Elmer Haya. On Tuesday he made the last 54 after dumping Omram Salem of the UAE 9-4. Haya is also safely through to the knockout stages and is drawn against another Filipino, Francisco Felicilda from Sogod, Southern Leyte.
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Gabica downed both of his group stage matches and is in the last 64 where he will square off against Mehdi Rasekhi of Iran.
Warren Kiamco of Cebu scraped into the last 64 when he defeated Venezuelan Frailin Guanipa 9-8 in a tense, loser's bracket encounter on Tuesday. A nervous Guanipa flubbed three makeable shots in the last three racks to squander an 8-6 lead. Kiamco meets Wang Can of China next. Should Kiamco prevail he could be duking it out with another Filipino, Raymond Faraon, in the round of 32. Faraon plays Liu Cheng Chieh of Chinese Taipei on Wednesday.
Bacolod-born Johann Chua will continue his fairy-tale run in this tournament. He faces Daniele Corrieri of Italy in the round of 64. Chua defeated Taiwanese-born Japanese pro Lo Li Wen and American stud Corey Deuel in his group to vault into the last 64. Chua only made the tournament as a last-minute replacement after gaining enough points in the pre-tournament qualifier and winning a last-chance match to sneak in.
Filipino-Canadian Alex Pagulayan, a former champ, is also in the last 64. If he can dismiss Austrian youngster Mario He, he could face Chua in the round of 32.
It's been an excellent tournament for La Union-born Carlo Biado. The former Philippine 8 Ball champion subdued Nour Wasfi Al Jarrah of Jordan and then Swedish veteran Tom Storm to book his place in the last 64, where he tangles with Mieszko Fortunski of Poland. Should he prevail, he could play another Filipino in the round of 32, Jeffrey De Luna. The Caloocan-based shooter is hoping to top Klatt in the first knockout stage for a chance to possibly meet Biado.
Bacolodnon Ramil Gallego is also in the hunt but he faces a daunting task in his first match against Ralf Souquet of Germany, a two-time winner of this event.
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Fans of Efren Reyes will be disappointed to learn that he is no longer in this event. The Magician dropped a tough 9-8 loss in the last loser's bracket match in his group to England's former 8 Ball world champion, Karl Boyes.
Other notables still in contention are England's former world champs Darren Appleton and Daryl Peach, China's Taiwanese born former champ Wu Jiaqing (neé Wu Chia Ching), defending champ Thorsten Hohmann, Dutch former Straight Pool world champ Niels Feijen, and US Open champion Shane Van Boening.
The tournament will now play races to eleven, alternate break, with Friday's final an extended race-to-thirteen. Whoever wins that match takes the US$30,000 first prize and joins some elite company as a world 9 Ball champion.
The action begins at 11:00 am on Wednesday, Qatar time, which is 4:00 pm Philippine time. You can watch the free live streaming of all the tables on this link and you can view the bracket here.
Follow WPA press officer Ted Lerner on Twitter @poolwpa for updates. You can also follow the event Facebook page here. Follow Bob on Twitter @PassionateFanPH.
