GABICA, ROTA ENTER SWEET 16; MANALO, DE LUNA, FARAON FALTERS IN QATAR 9-BALL

MANILA, Philippines—VETERAN Internationalists Antonio “Gaga” Gabica and Israel “Amay” Rota came up with yet another scintillating performance to kept Philippine Flag high in the on-going 2009 Qatar International 9-ball Pool Championship late Saturday at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation in Doha, Qatar.

Gabica and Rota, both from Cebu bested their respective rivals to earned seats in the Sweet 16 in this single knockout format which offers $40,000 to the champion.

Gabica, the 2006 Doha Asian Games 9-ball gold medallist beat top seed Mateusz Sniegocki while Rota, an OFW in the Middle East trounced Radoslaw Babica with a similar 11-5 victory against the two Polish counterpart.

In the Last 16 late Sunday:  Gabica will slug it out with Wang Hsiang Hung of Chinese-Taipei, who brought downed Dimitri Jungo of Switzerland while Rota goes up against Mika Immonen of Finland, who edged Mariusz Skoneczny of Poland, 11-10.

However, the sad news is that compatriot Marlon “Marvelous” Manalo, Jeffrey “The Bull” de Luna and Raymond Faraon failed to advance in the next round.

Manalo bowed to US brightest hope Shane “The South Dakota Kid” Van Boening (11-8); de Luna was succumb to the challenge of Neils “The Terminator” Feijen of the Netherlands (11-9) while Faraon lost to 2007 World Pool Champion ruler Daryl Peach of Great Britain (11-4).

Little known Jalal Al Saresi of Jordan produced the biggest upset in the Last 32 late Saturday when he upset WPA World no.1 and defending World 8-ball champion Ralf Souquet of Germany, 11-9, to face Fu Che Wei of Chinese-Taipei in the next round, winner over Mario He of Austria, 11-4.

Other results (round-of-32): Imran Majid of Great Britain defeated Vilmos Foldes of Hungrary, 11-9; Ricky Yang of Indonesia nipped Chris Melling of Great Britain, 11-3; Darren Appleton of Great Britain bested Marcus Chamat of Swden, 11-5; Tohru Kuribayashi of Japan trounced Kuo Po Cheng of Chinese-Taipei, 11-5; Yang Ching Shun of Chinese-Taipei ousted Lu Hui Chan of Chinese-Taipei, 11- 3; and Karl Boyes of Great Britain dealt Yukio Akakariyama of Japan, 11-5; Ko Pin Yi of Chinese-Taipei crushed Jonni Fulcher of Great Britain, 11-9.

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO.