Thursday, October 04, 2007 Corteza to compete in '07 US Open
LEE Vann Corteza of Davao City, who made it to the final roster of Thailand SEA Games-bound RP billiards and snookers team, will try his luck in the 32nd Annual US Open from October 14 to 20 at the Chesapeake Conference Center, in Chesapeake, Virginia.
Corteza will try for another title shot in the US after he emerged champion in the 2007 Turning Stone 9-Ball Championship in Verona, New York in August.
The 28-year-old Davao pool master from Mintal said he's been training hard for the US Open, saying in the vernacular: "It's a different feeling to be in the same league with those US Open champions that's why I've been practicing hard at the One Side Billiard Hall in Malate and Side Pocket at Quezon Avenue.
He received his official invitation Wednesday from US Open 9-ball Championship founder Barry Bherman.
Fellow Negros Billiards Stable mainstays 2006 US Open 9-Ball runner-up Rodolfo "Boy Samson" Luat, 2007 US Bar Table 9-Ball Champion and 8-Ball Champion Warren "Warrior" Kiamco, and many times Japan Champion Ramil "Bebeng" Gallego are also seeing action in the US Open.
Efren "Bata" Reyes, Francisco "Django" Bustamante, Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan, Jose "Amang" Parica, Ronato Alcano, Dennis Orcollo, Edwin Montal and Roel Esquillo will also don the country's colors in the 256-field cuefest.
Corteza is the reigning All Japan Championships titlist. He also topped the 2nd BSCP National 9-Ball Pool Championship in Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Malate, Manila. He was runner-up in the International Challenge of Champion in Unscaville, Connecticut and also in the Guinness 9-ball Tour Grand Final in Bali, Indonesia.
These credentials earned him the slot in the national team set to compete in the 24th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games on December 6 to 16 in Thailand, according to a Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) statement. (MLSA)
