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TOP seed Ronnie Alcano survived unheralded Benjamin
Guevarra, 9-8, to keep his title bid alive in the San Miguel
Beer-sponsored Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines
National Open Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Alcano, who lost to Fidel
Punzalan the other day, will next face Daniel de la Rosa, who scored
a 9-5 victory over John Rebong.
“Akala ko talo na ako dahil
nasa kanya na ’yung winning shot, kaya maituturing kong bwenas
’yung nagpanalo sa akin,” said the 34-year-old Alcano, who was
moved by a couple of dozen spectators wearing white shirts and
placards bearing words “we support Ronnie.”
Alcano, the reigning world 8-ball
and 9-ball champion, refused to answer questions regarding the
criminal charges his own daughter filed against him.
“No comment ako d’yan. Sabi
sa akin ng abogado ko ’wag ako magsalita,” said Alcano, a native
of Calamba City.
Earlier, No. 13 Ramil Gallego
stunned fourth seed Doha Asian Games gold medalist Antonio
“Gaga” Gabica, 9-7, for his third straight win.
“Maganda pareho ’yung tira
namin, sinuwerte lang ako nung mag-scratch sya sa twelfth rack kaya
ako nakalayo,” said the Japan-based Gallego, one of eight unbeaten
players in this tournament offering P500,000 to the men’s
champion.
The two split the match’s first
10 racks with each running out their respective breaks. Gallego
continued the trend in the 11th rack, and then saw Gabica scratched
on his break of the twelfth which the former ran out, along with the
next to go up on the hill at 8-5.
“Nung naka-otso na ako, lumakas
na ’yung kumpiyansa ko dahil ako rin ang bi-break sakaling mag-eight-all.
Sinabi ko na lang sa sarili ko na hindi na dapat sya [Gabica]
makalapit,” added the 40-year-old Gallego, whose last major title
was the Bangkok leg of the 2006 Asian Tour.
Gabica’s first loss in three
matches sent him to the losers’ bracket.
“Minalas ako sa break. Saka
paano mo matatalo si Bebeng [Gallego’s nickname], eh, hindi siya
sumasablay,” lamented Gabica. “Bawi na lang.”
In other matches, No. 10 Warren
Kiamco lost to unheralded Rodrigo Geronimo, 2-9, and No. 11 Gandy
Valle, last year’s runnerup, fell to Roberto Gomez, 6-9, to bow
out of contention.
In the women’s division, top
seed Rubilen Amit rolled to her third consecutive victory with a 7-0
decision over Jingle David and claim the first semifinals slot.
“Paganda nang paganda ’yung
nilalaro ko, pero kailangang pagbutihin ko pa dahil papahirap na
’yung competition,” said the 25-year-old Amit, a double gold
medalist in the 2005 SEA Games.
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