Saturday, December 06, 2008
Team World humbles RP in pool
TEAM WORLD pulled a stunning upset over the Team Quezon City-Philippines to go home with the $40,000 top prize in the Philippines vs. the World Grand Villards Showdown that ended last Thursday at the Trinoma Mall Activity Center in Quezon City.
The Pinoy billiard masters recovered from the first day slump and led 8-6 in the final day. The team that tallies nine wins first rules the event.
However, the Philippines failed to complete the task as Team World pulled three stunning wins to win the duel.
What made the loss more painful was that Team QC-Philippines was ahead in all of those three final games but Team World pulled the come-from-behind victories.
In Day 3, Warren Kiamco lost his singles match to Thorsten Hohmann,7-4, for a 6-4 lead before the Philippines won four straight matches.
Francisco Bustamante scored a thrilling 7-6 win over Raj Hundal; Efren Reyes defeated Rodney Morris of the US, 7-4; Robert Gomez tallied a commanding 7-4 win over Ching Shun Yang in singles. Bustamante, Alex Pagulayan, Dennis Orcullo and Gomez then handed Mika Immonen of Finland, Wu Chia-Ching, Hundal and Yang Ching Shun a 7-6 defeat to put the Team QC-Philippines just one win away from the top prize.
However, that was the last time the Filipino masters held the lead as Orcullo wasted an early advantage to bow 7-5 to Charlie Williams. Reyes, Warren Kiamco, Ronato Alcano and Lee Van Corteza also squandered a 5-2 lead to bow 7-6 to Morris, Williams, Hohmann and Fu Jianbo, putting both teams level at eight wins.
In the deciding match, Pagulayan, Gomez, Alcano and Kiamco posted an early lead only to lose it to Morris, Wu, Williams and Hundal,7-5, and the Pinoys settled for the $20,000 prize.
Organizers of the tournament, backed by Sen. Manny Villar, promised to stage a bigger event next year. (RCM)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (December 6, 2008 issue)
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