Mendoza beats Kato, wins Kyoto 9-Ball Open

Source: Manila Times
FORMER national junior champion Mark Aristotle Mendoza blasted Japanese H. Kato, 5-1, to rule the Kyoto 9-Ball Open held in Japan.

The 20-year-old Mendoza came up with precise shots and preparations all throughout the championship showdown to pocket his first major title.

Mendoza posted a commanding 4-0 lead en route to the victory in the tournament participated by some 120 cue artists.

“It’s a big win for me and I am looking forward to have better results in the coming tournaments that I will be joining,” said Mendoza who reached the round-of-16 in the 2007 World Junior Championships in Germany, and a quarterfinalist in the 2007 Korea Open.

Mendoza took home a whopping P200,000 cash equivalent. Other Filipinos in the tournament were veteran campaigners Ramil Gallego, Roel Esquillo, Elmer Haya and 2008 Kyoto 9-ball Open titlist Dondon Razalan.

Esquillo lost in the round-of-16 while Gallego ended his campaign in the round-of-32.

Haya and Razalan, on the other hand, failed to advance in the money round.

Mendoza is set to compete in the Hokkaido Open on March 18 and in the prestigious 2010 Japan Open on March 21 in Tokyo.
Emil C. Noguera