Corteza stays alive in 2012 World 9-Ball cuefest
-A A +AFriday, June 29, 2012
VETERAN internationalist Lee Vann Corteza of Davao City demolished Serge Das, 11-4, to advance into the Round of 32 along with four other Filipinos as eight compatriots crashed out of the ongoing 2012 World 9-Ball Championship at Al Sadd Sports Club in Doha, Qatar on Wednesday.
Corteza, a native of Mintal, was set to play Mika Immonen of Finland as of Thursday.
Legendary Efren "Bata" Reyes, former World No. 1 Dennis Orcullo of Surigao, Antonio Gabica and Jundel Mazon also stayed on course for the $40,000 champion's purse after beating their respective opponents in the knockout stage format Round of 64.
Reyes defeated Toh Lian Han of Singapore while Orcullo overcame Andrew Kong of Hong Kong, 11-8, and Gabica bested Mario He of Austria. Mazon, for his part, escaped an 11-9 win over Laguna's former two-time world champion Ronnie Alcano.
The 2010 World 10-Ball champion Francisco "Django" Bustamante, however, bowed to Chao Fong Pang of Chinese Taipei, 6-11, while Zamboanga City's Roberto Gomez fell at the hands of China's Liu Haitao, 11-4, to kiss their title hopes goodbye.
The other eliminated Filipinos were Marlon Caneda, a 6-11 victim of The Netherlands' Nick van den Berg; Isla Rota, an 8-11 loser to China's Han Hao Xiang; Elvis Calasang, a 7-11 prey of Canada's John Morra; Joven Alba, a 2-11 loser to China's Chang Jun Lin; and Carlo Biado, 10-11 victim of Japan's Naoyuki Ohi.
Corteza subdued Cañeda, 9-5, and Ivica Putnik of Croatia, 9-0, earlier in the group stages of the $300,000 cuefest.
Published in the Sun.Star Davao newspaper on June 29, 2012.
Sports
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