ALEX "The Lion" Pagulayan defeated Antonio "Gaga" Gabica of Cebu, 13-10, to win the 2007 Sun.Star Superbalita 9-Ball Challenge Open crown at the SM City Cebu Trade Hall Sunday night.
Davao City's Lee Vann Corteza, the reigning All-Japan Open champion and BSCP national pool champion, salvaged third place after pulling off an 11-9 victory over Mike Takayama.
Pagulayan, a former world pool champion, was ecstatic with the victory.
"It's a very good feeling to play in Cebu for the first time and come out as a champion. Had I known that Cebu is this good, I would have played here long before," Pagulayan said in an interview with Sun.Star Superbalita Cebu.
The victory was worth P160,000 for Pagulayan, while Gabica bagged P80,000.
Corteza and Takayama took home P40,000 and P30,000, respectively.
Pagulayan booted out Takayama, 11-7, while Gabica disposed of Corteza, 11-8, in the afternoon semis.
Corteza's wife, Gelia, said: "Sa dami ng players, at least nag-third pa siya. Pero sa akin, siya pa rin ang champion (laughs). Sumama ako sa Cebu pero hindi ko pinanood iyong laban niya kay Gaga kasi kinakabahan ako. (With the great number of players entered in the tournament, at least my husband made it third. But he's still a champion to me. I just didn't watch his game against Gabica because I was nervous)."
Corteza will fly to Shanghai, China for the fifth and final leg of the Guinness 9-Ball Tour. He needs to enter the Shanghai semi-finals to earn him a ticket to Bali, Indonesia for the Grand Championship final.
Only the top 10 in the Guinness Order of Merit will advance in Bali. Points earned by players since the first leg in Jakarta, second leg Kaohsiung, Chinese Taipei, third leg in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, fourth leg in Singapore and in Shanghai, China.
The Superbalita Challenge class B title went to Reymar Narciso while Adonis Anthony placed second followed by Maxwell Bernadez in third and Antonio Cose fourth.
James Rama won the college division over Keith Manayon, Gerwin Bathan and Gerald Pontanar.
Adrian Bedua ruled the elementary event while John Dingson was second, Anthony Raga third and Martin Zacarias fourth. (MLSA)
