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Source: Marlon Bernardino, ABS-CBN News

-- Ronato “Ronnie” Alcano, known in the pool world as the “Volcano,” led Team Philippines into the finals of the World Team Pool Cup Championship in Hannover, Germany.

The Calamba, Laguna native won his crucial battle against Russian Ruslan Chinahov, 7-1, at Hall 13 of the Hannover Exhibition Grounds.

The former World 9-ball and 8-ball champion helped the Nationals score a 4-1 victory over Russia by defeating Chinahov in the semifinals of the 1st 10-ball game late Saturday.

This paved the way for the Philippine team to secure a berth in the finals where they will face Great Britain on Sunday (Manila time).

Bannered by reigning World 9-ball champion Daryl Peach and former World 10-ball champion Darren Appleton, Great Britain eliminated Greece, 4-2, in the other semifinal duel.

Alcano was unshaken by his loss in his previous outing where he teamed up with ex-snooker champion Marlon “Marvelous” Manalo. They lost in the 1st 8-ball Scotch doubles event, 3-6.

“Parang panggising 'yong talo namin ni Marlon sa 8-ball Scotch Doubles,” Alcano told Bugsy Promotions President Ceferino “Perry” Mariano over the phone.

“Hindi ka talaga puwedeng maging over confident sa ganito kalaking event. Kahit sino puwede kang talunin,” added Alcano, a former US Open 9-ball finalist.

“We expect a tough battle against Great Britain, but kumpiyansa ako na magbibigay ng magandang laban ang mga player natin,” Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) chairman Florentino “Yen” Makabenta said.

Mariano, founder of the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP), added: “Bagama't nakauna ang Russia sa atin ay tiwala akong makakabawi tayo at eventually ay matatalo din natin sila sa mga susunod na event. Gaya ng naunang nasabi ni Yen (Makabenta), malalim ang bench natin at puro malalakas ang kalibre ng mga player natin.”

Negros Billiards Stable (NBS) president and co-founder of BMPAP Jonathan “Bacolod” Sy also noted: “Lalo nating dagdagan ang panalangin natin. Malaking karangalan sa bayan ang hatid nilang tagumpay.”

After the Filipinos’ loss in the 1st 8-ball Scotch doubles event, the pair of Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Warren “Warrior” Kiamco and former world No. 1 Dennis “Robocop” Orcollo rebounded with a 6-4 win to level at 1-1 in the race-to-4 semifinal.

Two-time BSCP National Pool Championships ruler Lee Van “The Slayer” Corteza and Japan-based Antonio “Nikoy” Lining made it to 3-1 for the Philippines with similar 6-4 victories over Roman Pruchai and Egor Plishkin, respectively.

Alcano then stepped up by beating Chinahov for a 4-1 total output for Team Philippines. Orcollo was leading 2-0 against Konstantin Stepanov in the second 10-ball game but it was halted after Alcano triumphed in the 1st 10-ball game.

On the road to the finals, the undefeated Filipinos nipped England II (4-0), Czech Republic (4-1), Norway (4-2), Poland (4-2) and Russia (4-1).

Great Britain, on the other hand, downed Norway (5-1), lost to Sweden (4-2), blanked Israel (4-0) and Germany (4-0), and then edged China (4-3) and Greece (4-2).

The 48-nation tournament, the first of its kind and sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA), stakes a total purse of $400,000. It uses a point-system scoring patterned after the Davis Cup event in international tennis where the champion team gets the lion’s share of $100,000 in the race-to-4 affair.