Unheralded Swiss pair shocks Orcollo and Corteza
Flashing steely nerves, Switzerland pulled off the improbable Wednesday night by upstaging Team Philippines-A with a gut-wrenching 8-7 victory to advance to the next round in the Party Poker.Net World Cup of Pool 2012 at the Robinson’s Ermita Midtown Activity Center in Manila.
Bannered by Fil-Swiss Ronni Regli and Dimitri Jungo, Switzerland came back from an early 2-6 hole before wielding the upset axe on former world champion Dennis Orcollo and Lee Van Corteza in front of a stunned pro-Filipino crowd.
With the Philippines-A comfortably ahead 6-2, Switzerland won four straight racks to move within 5-6, but the Filipinos put themselves on the hill by taking Rack 12 for a 7-5 cushion.
The Swiss pulled within 6-7 then Jungo connected on a magnificent jump-shot on the pink-4 ball that he pocketed on the right corner to take Rack 14 and force a hill-hill count.
Taking advantage of the winner’s break format, Switzerland completed its uprising by taking the 15th and final rack.
Switzerland will play the winner between Italy and Vietnam in the next round.
Earlier, two-time champion China turned back fast-starting Singapore 8-4.
Bannered by Li Hewen and alternate Liu Haltao, the Chinese squad bucked a 3-4 deficit by pouncing on a costly error committed by Chan Keng Kwang, who bungled the brown-7 ball in Rack 8 and leaving the Singaporeans frozen in their seats in the next four sets.
Spain, composed of David Alcalde and Francisco Diaz Pizarro, proved too much for the Hungarian pair of Gabor Solymisi and Miko Balazs, fashioning out an 8-3 decision to forge a Round of 16 with China, which ruled the event in 2007 and 2010.
Meanwhile, Chris Melling and Darren Appleton of England cruised to an 8-2 victory over Belgians Serge Das and Cliff Castelmein.
The six-day event, which culminates on Sunday, offers a total pot of US$250,000, with the winner taking home US$60,000.
The ouster of Orcollo and Corteza left Philippines B, composed of veteran superstars Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante, as the only local team left. The two battle Canada, bannered by Fil-Canadian Alex Pagulayan, on Thursday for a spot in the last eight.
