Monday, January 14, 2008 Zerna beats Gomez, earns P500T purse
RICKY "Bai" Zerna demolished World Pool Championship finalist Roberto "Pinoy Superman" Gomez, 7-4, in the finals of the 8-ball division to receive the top purse of P50,000 in the just-concluded Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) Ranking Tour on Saturday at the Queen Margaret Hotel in Lucena City.
Zerna is the last replacement of fellow Negros Billiard Stable (NBS) bet Steve Villamil who begged of at the last minute.
Zerna was the lone none Bugsy player in the final four which composed of Bugsy bets -- Gomez, Dennis Orcollo and Jeffrey de Luna.
Zerna earlier defeated de Luna, 7-2, in the semifinals to arrange a titular showdown with Gomez, who beat Orcollo, 7-5, in other semi-final paired.
It can be recalled that Zerna, the pride of Dumaguete City defeated two Bugsy bets -- Jundel "Jano" Mazon and Joven "The Shark" Bustamante -- to finish second with eventual winner American Charlie "The Korean" Williams in the 2007 Pro Tour Korea Championships November in Seoul, Korea.
Zerna's local and international campaign is fully backed up by Vis-Min billiards patron Jonathan Sy, also the president of the Negros Billiard Stable (NBS) under coach/manager Christopher Palses.
Antonio Gabica, also of Bugsy and gold medallist in the 9-ball competition of the 2006 Doha Asian Games, meantime ruled the first leg of the tour supported by the San Miguel Corporation (SMC).
