Sunday, October 21, 2007
Volcano retains heat
DOUBLE World Pool Champion Ronato “Volcano” Alcano is the only Filipino cue master left hunting for the $50,000 top prize in the 32nd Annual US Open 9-Ball at the Chesapeake Convention Center in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Alcano, American Shane Van Boening, Japanese Tomoko Mekari and Ralf Souquet of Germany, were the only four pool masters out of 233 hopefuls, who remain on the hunt for the crown in the 2007 US Open.
However, Van Boening and Mekari will be playing for the first finals slot, while Alcano and Soquet will compete in the loser’s bracket.
After disposing Cebuano Warren Kiamco, 11-3, in Round 5 at the Winners’ Side 3 bracket, Alcano then defeated US-based Jose “Amang” Parica to top their bracket 11-7.
However, he lost to Van Boening in the Winner’s Side semifinals, 11-4.
From the One Loss Side, Alcano rebounded with an 11-3 win over Louis Ulrich to make it to the Top Four which, will be played today.
Mekari, on the other hand, defeated Souquet, 11-8, in the other Winner’s Side semifinal, but bounced back into contention after defeating Ramil Gallego 11-9.
Efren “Bata” Reyes was on the right track after he lost to Alcano in the fourth round. Reyes defeated Markus Juva 11-7, then eliminated Kiamco’s tormentor Lee Chenman, 11-2, Ronnie Wiseman, 11-1, only to be eliminated by Gallego, 4-11.
Gallego, who rose from the Losers’ bracket after suffering an opening round defeat to Juva, won nine straight victories including an 11-8 win over Thorsten Hohmann, 11-8
win over Francisco “Django” Bustamante, 11-6 over Mike Davis, Reyes and Parica 11-9 before he suffered a frustrating defeat from Souquet.
Dennis Orcollo on the other hand who was red hot in the Winner’s Side 2 faltered when he met Souquet 5-11 and was eliminated by Larry Nevel at the Loser Side.
Other Filipino cue masters who were did good earlier but faltered near the finish line includes Kiamco who suffered his first loss to Alcano, 3-11. Kiamco won his first event at the Loser’s Side, 11-6, over John Mora but lost to Niels Feijen next.
Rodolfo “Boy Samson” Luat who was defeated by James Walden, 10-11, in the Round 4 at the Winners’ Side suffered his second defeat to Mika Immonen, 9-11, for his elimination ticket. (RCM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (October 21, 2007 issue)
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