EARL “The Pearl” Strickland captured the WNT Legends title after defeating Francisco “Django” Bustamante, 11-6, in the final on Friday at Gateway Mall in Cubao.
Strickland carried his strong form from the previous day, racing to a 4-0 lead before regaining control late. After Bustamante tied the match at five racks apiece, the American surged ahead for a 9-6 advantage.
Bustamante struggled to regain momentum, leaving an open 2-ball on Rack 15 before missing on the 8 in the following rack. Strickland capitalized, calmly pocketing the final balls to seal the victory.
The championship match capped a thrilling three-day event that featured four of the greatest players in the history of the sport.
Meanwhile, Ralf “The Kaiser” Souquet secured third place with an 11-9 win over Efren “Bata” Reyes. Reyes committed a costly error on Rack 20 when he ran out of time while lining up a shot on the 5-ball, allowing Souquet ball in hand to close out the rack.
Strickland and Souquet completed a dominant showing by also winning the doubles title, edging Reyes and Bustamante, 5-4, to sweep all the tournament honors. / RSC