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Friday, August 18, 2006
Lucky Pagulayan sends Gabica to losers bracket
Alex Pagulayan sent former Sun.Star Super-balita champion Antonio "Gaga" Gabica to the loser's bracket after eking out a tough 9-7 yesterday in the Billiards and Snookers Congress of the Philippines National Pool Championships in Manila.
Pagulayan, the 2004 World Pool Champion and reigning US Open champion, raced to a 2-0 lead early before losing control of the cue-ball in the third rack that forced him to a foul.
Other notable winners yesterday were Lee Van Corteza and Elmer Haya, while Cebuano Warren Kiamco was trailing Elias Calasang, 1-2, at presstime.
Chance
Gabica, who won the Sun.Star title in 2002, took advantage of the situation as he cleaned up the rack and took the next two for a 3-2 lead.
Pagulayan got a chance in the next rack after Gabica scratched on his break, but an uncharacteristic miss on the seven handed the table back to the Cebuano for a 4-2 advantage.
Pagulayan leveled the match again at 4-4 before Gabica won a safety battle in the ninth rack—highlighted by a stray fly that bothered the players' cuing-to take a one-rack lead.
Safety shots
The next few racks featured both players engaging in a series of safety shots as Pagulayan zoomed to a 7-5 advantage, while Gabica produced one of the toughest shot on the tournament to level the match at 7-7.
After getting snookered on the four, which was frozen on the siderail near the left bottom corner, Gabica went three-rails—side to top to side—to drop the four ball in the bottom, eliciting a wave of 'wows' from the crowd and applause from Pagulayan.
However, his magic trick, failed to save him as he came up dry in his next break, paving the way for Pagulayan's win.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (August 18, 2006 issue)
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