Monday, November 13, 2006
RP's Alcano pockets World Pool Championship
By Frank C. Calapre
Sun.Star Cebu Correspondent
MANILA -- What was expected to be a close contest turned out to a lopsided affair as Ronato Alcano found the soft break a potent weapon in beating Ralf Souquet of Germany, 17-11, to win the 2006 World Pool Championship (WPC) crown at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC).
Appearing in the finals (WPC) for the first time, the 34-year-old Alcano fought like a seasoned cue master over the 1996 champion Souquet, who has reached the finals of the prestigious tournament for the third time already. The second was in 2001.
Alcano, though, is no stranger to winning, having won last year's Sun.Star Superbalita International 9-ball title. He is also a former 9-ball Asian tour Champion and a SEA Games gold medallist.
On Sunday night, Alcano was at his best as he jumped to an early 3-0 lead and later ballooned to a big 9-2 advantage midway in the three-hour and 13-minute match.
"It was really my plan to move ahead to avoid pressure. He is a veteran and this is just my first time so I have to be two steps ahead," said Alcano.
Not even the shift to alternate break from the traditional winner-break system could dampen his spirit when the Borlange, Germany native Souquet came back strong to move closer 16-11.
No rhythm
"He played well and I tried to do my best, but I just couldn't get my rhythm," said Souuet, who lost in the finals to Mika Immonen of the US in 2001.
Souquet's rally proved later on to be his last gasp as the Calamba, Laguna native Alcano coolly hit the orange ball no. 5 for a double bounce on no. 9 that ended the finals before a sell-out crowd at the PICC's spacious Hall.
Alcano, whose previous finish in the WPC was the round of 64 in 2005, pocketed the $100,000 top purse, while Souquet went home $40,000 richer.
A double bounce right spin on the red no. 3 ball hit the no. 9 that went in the right side pocket, stretching Alcano's lead to its biggest at 12-5 en route to an easy win that enabled him to become only the third Filipino to win the WPC.
Efren "Bata" Reyes was the first Filipino to win the title in 1991 in Cardif, Wales, while Filipino-Canadian Alex Pagulayan followed suit in 2004 in Taiwan.
One of the best
Alcano's victory, no doubt, proves he is one of the best in the country today, as he defeated three former champions: the first was Reyes, 11-6, in the round of 64 on Wednesday, and the second was defending champion Wu Chia-Ching of Chinese-Tapei in the quarterfinals, 11-6 on Saturday.
"He is improving. He is now our third Filipino world champion. So he is now in the class of Reyes and Alex," said Billiards and snooker Congress of the Philippines chairman Yen Makabenta. (Sun.Star Cebu)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Manila. (November 13, 2006 issue)
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