Source: Manila Bulletin
Three Filipinos survived the grueling test to reach the Final 8 of the World 8-Ball Pool Championship on Thursday, but the country’s best hope, Ronnie Alcano, shockingly bowed out of contention at the Fujairah Tennis Club in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates.
Jeffrey De Luna, who came from the loser’s bracket, continued his winning roll as he led the RP bets’ march in the quarterfinals by pounding out twin victories at the expense of Indon Ricky Yang, 10-8, in the round-of-32 and compatriot Lee Vann Corteza, 10-2, in the round-of-16.
Little-known Joven Alba and Venancio Tanio joined De Luna, the 2006 Doha Asian Games 9-ball silver medalist, in the next stage of the WPA-sanctioned event, by pulling the rug from under the heavyweights.
A snooker specialist, Alba rolled back two compatriots, Oliver Medanilla, 10-3, before dismantling former Asian gold medalist Antonio Gabica, 10-8.
Tanio, a dark horse who also emerged from the loser’s side, frustrated the host’s Jalal Al Saresi, 10-6, before he outsmarted former double world champion Alcano, 10-4.
Alcano’s defeat put an end to his bid of becoming a repeat champion after his conquest in this same event in 2007. Alcano subdued Scott Higgins of Great Britain, 10-3, to reach the Last 16.
Completing the Last 8 cast of the tourney that dangles $28,000 (roughly P1.26 million) to the winner are Ruslan Chinakhov of Russia, Niels Feijen of the Netherlands, Andreas Roshkowski of Germany and Karl Boyes and Darren Appleton of Great Britain.
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