Source: Olmin Leyba, Philippine Star
MANILA, Philippines - A free-for-all battle is expected as the world’s top cuemasters, including local aces led by Dennis Orcullo, slug it out for the crown in the Philippine Open Pool Championships beginning today at the SM Megamall in Mandaluyong City.
Fresh from capturing the world 8-ball title and the Derby City Classic 9-ball crown, Orcullo seeks to add a 10-ball diadem to his trophy room in the 64-man main draw of the $175,000 event.
A slew of tough foreign rivals are out to foil the pool whiz from Bislig, Surigao del Sur, headed by 2009 World 10-ball king Mika Immonen of Finland and 2008 World Ten Ball champ Darren Appleton of Great Britain, who both have won major pool events here.
Out to provide more fierce challenge are former double world champions Ralf Souquet of Germany and Ronnie Alcano of the Philippines, former US Open titlist Shane van Boening of the United States, and defending Phl Open champ Ricky Yang of Malaysia.
“It will be really, really hard because all the top players are here,” said Orcullo, one of three gold medalists for Team Phl in last year’s Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.
Immonen, a familiar face to Filipino fans, feels good about his chances for the $30,000 champion’s purse in the double-elims format tournament, a ranking event of the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA).
“I’m coming off a win in the Masters 10-ball Championship in Virginia and I feel I’m in top form. I’ll give it a good shot, especially since I have a very good record here (Philippines), having won four major tournaments,” Immonen said.
Souquet, for his part, looks for his breakthrough win in Manila. “I still haven’t won a tournament in the Philippines so yeah it’s on top of my list,” said the German ace who finished runner-up four times in previous outings in the country.
Also carrying the Phl flag are Antonio Lining, Jeff de Luna, Marlon Manalo, Lee Van Corteza Roberto Gomez and Ramil Gallego, among others. Interestingly absent is reigning world 9-ball champ and current world No. 1 Django Bustamante, who backed out at the last minute.
Gillian Go, Geona Christine Gregorio and Reggie Ann Biagcong will represent the Phl against a tough 32-player field led by World 10-Ball champ Jasmin Ouschan of Austria, defending World 9-Ball titlist Fu Xiao-Fang of China, and former Amway World 9-Ball champion and 2006 Asian Games 8-Ball women’s pool champion Lin Yuan Chun of Chinese Taipei.
The Philippine Open is organized and promoted by Raya Sports in cooperation with the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP). TV5 will broadcast the games via a block time slot in IBC-13, 2-7 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 12-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and 2-7 p.m. on Monday.
Source: GMA News
-- Great Britain frustrated the Philippines’ bid to win the first World Team Championship, posting a relatively easy 4-1 triumph in their championship showdown Sunday in Hannover, Germany (early Monday in Manila).
The Filipinos, among the foremost pool players in the world, actually got the head-start against the British as the pair of Dennis Orcollo and Warren Kiamco trampled Karl Boyles and 2007 world pool champ Darryl Peach in the opening 8-ball doubles, 6-1.
However, the British bets quickly equalized via Darren Appleton and Mark Gray’s 6-1 triumph over Ronnie Alcano and Marlon Manalo in the second 8-ball doubles then completely turned the tables around with a sweep of the next three sets.
Gray took only 45 minutes in disposing of Antonio Lining, 8-2, in the 9-ball singles before Boyes outclassed Lee Van Corteza in a closely-fought 9-ball singles duel, fighting back from a 6-7 deficit to eke out an 8-7 win.
Appleton, the 2009 World Pool Masters titlist, secured the title for Britain with a dominating 7-1 conquest of former world no. 1 Orcollo in the 10-ball competitions.
It was a sorry loss for the Filipinos, who looked quite invincible after winning all their previous assignments prior to the finale. The RP pool aces defeated Great Britain II, 4-0, and the Czech Republic, 4-1, in the first and second round then waylaid Norway (4-2 in the Last 16), Poland (4-2 in the quarterfinals) and Russia (4-1) to book a spot in the finals.
In contrast, the British had to go through the loser’s bracket after dropping a 2-4 loss to Sweden in the second round. Team Great Britain, though, drubbed Korea, 4-2, and Israel II, 4-0, in the loser’s side to advance into the knockout Last 16 stage and posted wins over Germany (4-0, Last 16), China (4-3, quarterfinals), and Greece (4-2, semis) for a finals slot.
Source: GMA News
-- The Philippines entered the quarterfinal phase of the biggest world pool team event – the 1st World Team Championships in Hannover, Germany.
The Filipinos, showing their dominance in the 8-Ball event after both pairs won their respective matches, earned a spot in the Last 8 after a 4-2 win over Norway.
The duo of double world champion Ronnie Alcano and former Asian snooker king Marlon Manalo nipped their rivals, 6-5, while the pair of Lee Van Corteza and Warren Kiamco scored a 6-3 win in the other match.
In 9-Ball, Alcano breezed to an 8-2 triumph over Vegar Kristiansen while Dennis Orcullo, one of Bugsy Promotions’ top bets by businessman-sports patron Perry Mariano, coasted to a 7-1 win over Tommy Wolf in the 10-Ball event to seal the Filipinos’ win.
The Philippines joined Poland, Russia, Great Britain, China, Switzerland, Greece and Germany II in the next round.
"Great Britain and China are our toughest rivals," Mariano told GMANews.TV. “Pero maganda ang tsansa natin. Pwede tayong mag-champion eh (But we have a good chance of winning the crown)."
In other results, Poland swept a Finland team led by reigning World 10-Ball champion and world’s No.1 player Mika Immonen, 4-0; Russia defeated Denmark, 4-2; Great Britain blanked host Germany beefed up by world champions Ralf Souquet and Thorsten Hohmann, 4-0; China crushed Serbia, 4-1; Switzerland ousted Japan, 4-1; Greece nipped the United States, 4-3; and Germany II edged Sweden, 4-3.
Source: Marlon Bernardino, ABS-CBN News
-- Team Philippines is set to battle Norway for a quarter-final berth when the first-ever World Team Cup Championship resumes late Thursday (Manila time) at the Hall 13 Hannover Exhibition Grounds in Hannover, Germany.
The Nationals, led by former World no.1 Dennis Orcollo, WPA 9-ball and 8-ball ruler Ronato Alcano, 2-time National Pool champion Lee Vann Corteza, former snooker champ Marlon Manalo, Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Warren Kiamco, and Japan-based Antonio Lining, got a much needed rest on Wednesday after posting back-to-back victories in the first two rounds over Great Britain II (4-0) and Czech Republic (4-1).
Team Norway, composed of Malvin Bjelland, Vegar Kristiansen, Mats Schjetne and Tommy Wolff, is coming off a win over Iran, 4-1.
They lost their preliminary round match to Great Britain, 5-1, then bounced back to contention by eliminating Aruba, 4-2, in the loser’s brackets.
“If Nationals play correctly, I’m pretty confident they can beat Norway. Huwag lamang silang magiging over confident,” said Bugsy Promotions President Ceferino “Perry” Mariano.
The RP squad is backed up by the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP), Raya Sports, Bugsy Promotions and Negros Billiards Stable (NBS).
“Mahalaga makauna agad sila, cumulative kasi ang score sa tatlong disciplines (9-ball, 8-ball Scotch doubles and 10-ball),” said NBS.
“It’s now win or go home,” said BSCP chairman Florentino “Yen” Makabenta.
The Nationals are now assured of $10,000 (roughly P470,000) for making it to the “Sweet 16”.
The 48-nation tournament, the first of its kind and sanctioned by the World Pool Billiard Association (WPA), has a total purse of $400,000 (roughly P19.2 million) and uses a point-system scoring patterned after the famous Davis Cup of international tennis. The champion team will get $100,000 (roughly P4.7 million).
Source: ABS-CBN News
-- Ready and confident.
That was how RP pool team manager Edgar "Malabon" Acaba described the condition of the 6-man Philippine team that left the country Thursday to participate in the inaugural World Team Cup Championship in Hannover, Germany.
“I see our team being installed among the Top 10 favored teams in the tournament,” said Acaba, vice president of the Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP).
The RP team left Manila at 11:30am via KLM Airlines for the tournament which will take place from January 30 to February 7 at Hall 13 in the Hannover Exhibition Grounds, Hannover.
“Our team will be composed of six players, who have played impressively in the World Ten Ball Championship, the Philippine National Championship and other international tournaments,” said Acaba.
The team is composed of 2-time national pool titlist Lee Vann “The Slayer” Corteza, WPA 9-ball and 8-ball champion Ronato “Volcano” Alcano, former World No. 1 Dennis “Robocop” Orcollo, former Asian Snooker champion Marlon “Marvelous” Manalo, Villar Cup champion Warren Kiamco and Japan champion Antonio “Nikoy” Lining.
The team is backed by BSCP under the leadership of its president Sebastian “Baste” Chua and chairman Florentino “Yen” Makabenta.
They will play in a tough, point-system tournament patterned after the famous Davis Cup in international tennis.
“Germany, England, the United States, Japan, Chinese Taipei and China are touted as the favorites, but the teams of Mika Immonen [Finland], Marcus Chamat [Sweden] and Neils Feijen [Netherlands] may not get the support they need to make their teams more formidable,” said Acaba.
Teams will compete in three disciplines: 8-Ball, 9-Ball and 10-Ball. The 8-Ball will be played in a Double Scotch format and bears two points for every team. The 9-Ball and 10-Ball will have a point each.
Added attraction in the $400,000 total pot prize tournament is the participation of “Prince of Brunei”, Al Muhtadee Billah in the 200 player event.
