HOT START BY ALCANO, GABICA, LINING IN DOHA WORLD 9-BALL

FORMER 9-ball and 8-ball world champion Ronato “Volcano” Alcano, Antonio “Ga-Ga” Gabica and Antonio “Nickoy” Lining lived up to expectations by hurdling past respective rivals in the on-going 2010 WPA World Pool Championships (World 9-Ball) at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation hall in Doha, Qatar late Wednesday.

Alcano, member of the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) crushed Ahmed Hassan of Iraq, 9-1.He will face David “El Matador” Alcaide of Spain, in the next round. Alcaide downed Jason Theron of Republic of South Africa, 9-6.

” Hindi ko talaga pinaporma kaya iniwanan ko agad siya.” said the lanky Calamba cue artist Alcano to his long-time benefactor Perry Mariano of Bugsy Promotions in a long distance call yesterday.

Sportsman/ businessman Perry Mariano on his part “Sana pumasok lahat ng mga Filipino sa Last 64″.

The Cebuano native Gabica, who is best to remember winning the 9-ball gold and 8-ball silver medal in the 2006 Doha Asian Games outclassed Nicolas Otterman of Germany, 9-7, and will meet countryman Francisco Felicilda, a 9-8 winner over Muhammad Zulfikri of India.

The Japan-based Lining routed beat Corey Deuel of the United States, 9-7, to arrange a second-round deuel with Khalid Al Kamale of United Arab Emirates, who subdued Martin Kempter of Austria, 9-8.
Sharing the limelight is Venancio “Tukao” Tanio, a former Southeast Asian Games medallist trounced Holger Gries of Germany, 9-5, to face Liu Haitao of China, who upset former 9-ball and 8-ball world champion Efren “Bata” Reyes, 9-5, in the first round of group stage matches.

In the loser’s brackets, the 2010 Player of the Decade Reyes, the acknowledge greatest player of all time remain in contention of this $250,000 total pot prize week-long event after eliminating Gries, 9-7.
Marlon “Marvelous” Manalo beat Waleed Majid of Qatar, 9-7, as well Jeffrey “The Bull” de Luna hammered Richard Jones of Great Britain, 9-6, to stay alive in this $36,000 top prize World Pool Billiard Association (WPA) sanctioned tournament.

Manalo from Barangay Talumpong, Mandaluyong City will square off Francis Crevier of Canada in the next round.

Artem Koshovoj of Ukraine, meantime inflicted the second straight loses of reigning World 9-ball champion Daryl Peach of Great Britain, 9-8, to booted out in this tournament which attracted world best renowned pool wizards.

Current World 8-ball champion and ex-World 9-ball ruler Ralf “Kaiser” Souquet of Germany also won his match in the one-loss side against Carlo Castro of Nicaragua, 9-1.
Joven Alba, conqueror of Marlon Manalo’s in the first round failed to continued his winning streak after yielding to Scott Higgins of Great Britain, 9-4. His next round match against Kenny Kwok of Hongkong.
Ibrahim Bin Amir, a native of Mindanao who migrated to Malaysia scored his second straight wins against Mariusz Skoneczny of Poland, 9-5. He beat earlier Bruno Muratore of Italy, 9-7.

Former World No.1 Francisco “Django” Bustamante was set to play Toru Kuribayashi of Japan while 2010 World Pool Masters titlist Dennis “Robocop” Orcullo was pitted against Chris Melling of Great Britain, 2010 US Open 10-ball champion Lee Vann “The Slayer” Corteza will test the mettle of Christian Reimering of Great Britain, Allan Cuartero versus Niels Feijen of the Netherlands, Oliver Medenilla opposite Fahad Al Barak of Kingdon of Saudi Arabia, Israel “Amay” Rota will meet Nguyen Phoc Long of Vietnam and Raymund Faraon versus Nick Van den Berg of the Netherlands.

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO