Sunday, August 05, 2007 Corteza falls in Guinness 9-ball By Marianne L. Saberon-Abalayan
LEE Vann Corteza recorded 1-1, win-loss card in the group stage elimination round to bid his title-bid goodbye in the opener of the Guiness 9-Ball Tour fifth leg in Shanghai, China.
Chinese Taipei bet Chao Fong-Pang topped Group E to enter the quarter-finals. He defeated Dabawenyo Corteza, 9-6, in the first match then beat Thailand's Nitiwat Kanjanasri, 9-5, in a later match.
Corteza, who is the reigning All-Japan Open champion, managed to pull off a 9-5 win over Kanjanasri.
Chao Fong-Pang was also Corteza's quarter-finals tormentor in the third leg held at Genting Highlands Resort in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Only reigning World 8-Ball and World 9-Ball champion Ronato Alcano and Roberto Gomez kept the Philippines' hopes alive by barging into the quarter-finals.
Gomez ruled Group B after disposing of Chinese Li He Wen, 9-3, and Singaporean Bernard Tey, 9-3, while Alcano led Group F with two straight victories at the expense of Chinese Zhang Shu Chun (9-5) and Japanese Naoyuki Oi (9-7).
Group A leader Yang Ching-Shun of Chinese Taipei also advanced in the quarter-finals along with Group C leader Chinese Fu Jian Bo, Group D leader former world pool champion Wu Chia-Ching, Group G leader Korean Ryu Seung Woo and Group H leader Singaporean Chang Keng Kwang.
RP's Jeffrey de Luna also bowed out after losing to Japanese Bo in Group C, 3-9.
Cash prizes and slots to the Guinness 9-Ball Tour Grand Final set in Bali, Indonesia on August 31 to Sept. 2 are at stake.
