IMMONEN BEATS CORTEZA IN WTBC FINALS; POCKETS $60,000

MANILA, PHILIPPINES—FOR Filipino cue star Lee Vann Corteza, his time has to wait for a world championships belt.

This after reigning back-to-back US Open 9-ball titlist Mika Immonen of Finland used his vast experience to engineer another remarkable comeback and fashion out a magnificent 11-6 conquest in the second World Ten Ball Championship here at the World Trade Center late Monday.

“I don’t know what’s going on right now. But I always wanted to win the world 10-ball title,” said the 2001 World Pool Cardiff champion Immonen, born in London, raised in Helsinki and now a resident of New York, gave him his eighth title in the last ten tournaments he has competed in since July this year.

With the top prize of $60,000 under his belt, Immonen raised his total to $227,820 in earnings to remain the world’s top money player before the year end. Last year, he had total earnings of $149,582.

Corteza, the prize fighter of Jonathan Sy’s Negros Billiard Stable (NBS) didn’t go home empty-handed with a runner-up purse of $40,000.

Got off to a slow start, Immonen recovered from a 2-0 deficit, calmly came right back and tied the match at 2-2.

“Magaling talaga si Mika (Immonen),” said the 30-year-old Corteza, who hails from Davao City.

The players traded racks for 3-3, but back to back critical errors by Corteza in racks seven and eight were all the momentum that Immonen needed as he ran those racks for a 5-3 lead and then broke and ran the next rack for a 6-3 lead. Corteza close the match at 6-5 winning the next two racks before Immonen took again control the game at 8-5 count after Corteza tried to masse to the 1-ball and fouled in the 13^th racks.

Immonen suffered scratched on the break in the fourteen rack allowing Corteza to back in the table for 8-6 count. However, the latter’s (Corteza) also committed a scratched on the break in the 15^th rack that doomed his chances for the coveted title. Immonen never looked back to squeezed an 11-6 triumph.

Corteza forged a final deuel with Immonen after beating David Alcaide of Spain, 9-7, in the second semi-final match-up. Immonen booked his seat in the race-to-11 finals after scoring similar 9-7 wins against Antonio “Nickoy” Lining in the first semi-final battle.

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO.