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THREE Filipinos survived knockout matches to enter the main draw of
the 2008 World 8-Ball Championship on Monday at the Expo Center in
Fujairah City, United Arab Emirates.
World’s No. 1 Dennis Orcollo manhandled
Australian Edwards Matt in the loser’s bracket, 8-2, to keep his
hopes of winning his first world title alive. Orcollo finished
runner-up to compatriot Ronnie Alcano last year. Roberto Gomez,
runner-up in the world 9-ball competition last year, and unheralded
Alan Cuartero also advanced through the backdoor.
Gomez rebounded strong from a loss, blanking
Francis Crevier of Canada, 8-0, while Cuartero got the better of
more fancied countryman Jeffrey de Luna, 8-5.
The three will join compatriots Ronnie Alcano,
Warren Kiamco and Elvin Calasang in the next round.
De Luna wasn’t the lone Filipino casualty in
the final day of elimination.
Antonio Gabica absorbed his second straight loss
to go home empty handed, bowing to reigning world 9-ball champ Daryl
Peach of England, 5-8. Joven Bustamante, semifinalist last year, was
the first Filipino to fall, going winless in two tries.
Also making it past the preliminaries were
Oliver Ortmann of Germany, Wu Chia-ching of Taiwan, Niels Feijen and
Huidji See of the Netherlands, Konstantin Stepanov of Russia,
Satoshi Kawabata of Japan, Gabrielle Cimmino and Bruno Muratore of
Italy, Chris Melling of England, Dimitri Jungo of Switzerland, Liu
Haitao of China and local bet Hanni Al Howri.
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