Tuesday, June 17, 2008 Ex-champ leads early winners in Superbalita 9-Ball Class B
THE action continued to heat up as the Class B players displayed their wares in the 1st Senate President Manny Villar Cup-Sun.Star Superbalita 9-Ball Challenge at the SM City Trade Hall yesterday.
Darrel Abaquita, the 2006 champion, led the pack of the future Cebuano billiard stars as he made a strong start by booting out Andres Abay 7-4 in the elimination round yesterday.
Abaquita found his rhythm early as he won the first three racks before Abay crawled within a rack after cleaning the fourth and fifth frames.
The 29-year-old Abaquita then cleaned up two more racks and Abay won the eighth.
Abaquita was on the hill after the ninth before he missed the 4-8 combination allowing the opponent to win the 10th rack.
The next play proved to be trying for Abay as he tried to flirt with a safety but to no avail as Abaquita cleaned up the six balls left on the table.
Aside from Abaquita, Achilles Navarra also moved into the next round after beating Keith Manayon, 7-1; Dave Dica moved on with a 7-3 win over Cesar Kiamco; Fredy Tuastumban and followed suit following his 7-4 win over Christian Flores.
In the other games, Kirby Ybañez also made it to the next level after handing Junior Bungo a 7-4 defeat; Joemarie Himalaya won over Mark Gregory Gestopa, 7-6; Edwin Barinaga eked out a scary 7-6 victory against Rey Rodolfo.
Other players who will be seeing action in today’s round are Dave Panulagan, Burt Gutobat, Jovito Ortiz, Leo Colina, Charlon Heiz Alcidera, Nhoriel “Tata” Pagador and Dario Vidal.
Alcano’s target
Panulagan eliminated Alcesar Monares, 7-3; Gutobat wiped out Tingards Pesons, 7-2; Ortiz pulled a scary 7-6 win against Gilbert Zacarias; Colina showed dominance over Carl Degamo, 7-2; Alcidera proved too much for Richard Burgo following a 7-0 win; Pagador topped Geofrrey Gian, 7-4 and Vidal found little resistance from Ernesto Rosco following a 7-1, win.
Twelve other Class B players were playing at press time last night.
Meanwhile, Former double world champion Ronnie Alcano hopes to finally pocket his first title this year as he competes in the Class A division later this Friday.
“It’s been quite long that I haven’t won a championship, and it’s already the middle of the year, so I will do my best to finally nail one,” said Alcano, who is one of the seeded players in what would be the biggest pool tournament in the South.
One of four
One of the only four players to hold both the world 8-ball and 9-ball tiaras, Alcano has not won a title since ruling the World 8-Ball Championship in March 2007. He twice fell a win short another crown, first in the All-Japan Open in March where he lost in the finals to compatriot and fellow Bugsy boy Dennis Orcollo, and in the World 8-Ball tilt, where he bowed to German Ralf Souquet in the titular match.
“Cebu is a good place for me and I’ve already won a tournament there in 2005. I just hope that I would also get lucky in return there,” added the 35-year-old.
But it would take more than luck to win the Sun.Star Superbalita title as practically all of the country’s world-class cue artists plus a horde of up and coming stars are vying in the event co-organized by Sun.Star Superbalita, supported by Bugsy Promotions, Puyat Sports and Negros Billiards Stable, and sponsored by Camella Communities.
Aside from Alcano, the other players competing for the prestigious cup and the P400,000 top purse that goes with it are fellow former world titlists Efren “Bata” Reyes and Alex Pagulayan, current world no.1 Dennis Orcollo, former world’s top-ranked player Francisco Bustamante, 2007 World Pool runnerup Roberto Gomez, reigning national champion Lee Van Corteza, former Asian Games gold medalist Gandy Valle, and Villar Cup opening leg winner Warren Kiamco.
Also seeded to the 64-man main draw are Ramil Gallego, Joven Bustamante, Rodolfo Luat, Carlo Biado, Jharome Pena, Ricky Zerna, Jundel Mason, Elmer Haya and Benson Palce, along with former national juniors champion Mark Mendoza and long-time national team mainstay Benjie Guevarra, who replaced Rubilen Amit and Mary Basas. Amit and Basas are in a teaching engagement in Indonesia.
Also making it to the tournament proper are rising stars Russian Petiza, Rene Mar David, Johann Chua and Manolo Tanasas, who booked a slot through a special qualifying tournament for the Billiards Idol Season 1 topnotchers. (RCM with PR)
