Alcano tows Pinoys into Final 64

MANILA, Philippines – Ronnie Alcano led the march of Filipino players into the Final 64 yesterday and said the real battle is just about to begin in the World 10-Ball Championship at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

“Simula pa lang (It’s just the start),” said the 37-year-old Alcano, winner of world titles in 8-ball and 9-ball but never in 10-ball. Now that he’s in the knockout phase, there’s a chance he might just do it here.

“Mabuti nakapasok (It’s good to be in),” he said following a 9-4 win over Taipei’s Cheng Tsung Hua. It was his second straight win after he tripped on opening-day and lost to Chinese newbie Dang Jin Hu.

The Final 64 begins today with the winners moving on to the closing stages of the world-class tournament being played under world-class conditions. The champion here gets $60,000 (P2.8 million).

“Ito na ang 64 na magagaling (These are 64 of the best players),” said Alcano, adding that 10-ball, now the hottest game in the circuit, is so tough the element of luck as in 8-ball or 9-ball has been practically eliminated.

Other Filipinos who joined Alcano in the next round yesterday are Antonio Gabica, Warren Kiamco, Antonio Lining, Elvis Calasang, Jericho Banares and Jundel Mazon. Dennis Orcullo and Lee Van Corteza advanced the other day.

As of presstime, two more Filipinos are bound to reach the Final 64 with Ramil Gallego slugging it out with Marlon Manalo, and Jomar de Ocampo battling No. 7 seed Jeffrey de Luna for survival. The losers go home empty-handed.

Another local bet, Carlo Biado, was to play late last night for a chance to advance.

Alcano is glad that he’s in good company in next round where each of the 64 players are already guaranteed $1,000. He said there’s now a strong chance for a Filipino to go all the way until the last rack is played on Monday.

Gabica defeated Erik Hjorleifson of Canada, 9-2; Kiamco won via default; Lining stopped Carlo Biado, 9-4; Calasang survived Vincent Facquet of France, 9-5; Banares tripped Sandor Tot of Serbia, 9-5; and Mazon drubbed Bruno Muratore of Italy, 9-2.

Ralf Souquet of Germany, the tournament top-seed, also made it to the Final 64 after losing his opening match, this time slamming the door on Filipino Mario Tolentino, 9-4.

Charlie Williams of the United States edged Roberto Gomez, 9-6; Roman Hybler of Czechoslovakia booted out Thomasz Kaplan of Poland, 9-6; Christof Reintjes of Germany ousted Chang Pei-Wei of Taipei, 9-5; and Mika Immonen of Finland drove past Ibrahim Bin Amir of Malaysia, 9-4.

Souquet, like Alcano, is glad to be in the Final 64 following Wednesday’s 9-6 defeat to Kaplan, and the top-seed from Germany, who is also trying to become the first player in pool history to win world titles in 8-ball, 9-ball and 10-ball, is ready.

“I need to take it match by match — whoever comes in the way. If you want to become champion, you need to beat all of them,” said Souquet.

Also into the next round were defending champion Darren Appleton, Imran Majid and Karl Boyes of Great Britain, Hayato Hikikata, Naoyoki Ooi and Yukio Akakariyama of Japan, Fu Jianbo, Wang Ming and Li Hewen of China, Kuo Po Cheng and Chang Yu Lung of Taipei, Kenny Kwok of Hong Kong, Niels Feijen of the Netherlands, Rusian Chinakhov of Russia, Ignacio Chavez and Ernesto Dominguez of Mexico, Alain Martel of Canada, Jeong Young Hwa of Korea, Mario He of Austria,Thorsten Hohmann of Germany, Markus Juva of Finland and Stephan Cohen of France.

• Philstar
• Philippine Sports Central

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