ORCULLO LEADS TEAM RP TO SEMIS OF WORLD TEAM POOL CUP

Semi-Final round:

RP versus Russia

Great Britain versus Greece

Quarter-Final results:

RP beat Poland (4-2)

Russia beat Germany II (4-1)

Great Britain beat China (4-3)

Greece beat Switzerland (4-0)

MANILA, PHILIPPINES—FORMER world no.1 Dennis “Robocop” Orcullo lived up to his top billing after securing important win as he beat Radoslaw Babica (7-3) in the 10-ball duel to spearheaded Team Philippines in another cliff-hanging 4-2 victory over Poland in the quarter-finals of World Team Pool Cup Championship late Friday (Manila time) at Hall 13 Hannover Exhibition Grounds in Hannover, Germany.

With the win, the Nationals will square off with Russia in the semi-final round.

Bannered by Konstantin Stepanov and Ruslan Chinahov, Russia eliminated Germany II, 4-1 lead by former world 9-ball champion Oliver Ortmann.

Orcullo, the top player of star-studded Bugsy Promotions was again under pressure and needed to beat Babica to avoid a possible sudden-death shootout.

“Again all the expectation was on me coming to the deciding match,” said the 31-year-old former fisherman of Bislig, Surigao del Sur to his long-time benefactor and Bugsy Promotions president Ceferino “Perry”Mariano in a long distance call.

“But I managed to cope it well and did not make any mistake, which enabled me to win the match.” added the reigning International Predator 10-ball champion Orcollo, who also lead the six-man Philippines team against Czech Republic (4-1) and Nowary (4-2), respectively.

The unbeaten Filipinos opened their bid in a high note after thrashing England 2 (4-0).

Mariano, founder of the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) commented “It was tough as everyone expected it to be. Pero talagang inaasahan namin iiskor si Dennis sa crucial match kaya nga siya binansagang Robocop sa pool world kasi matibay ang kanyang dibdib. Hope manalo tayo against Russia para makapasok sa finals.”

With two more win away for the title, Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) chairman Florentino “Yen” Makabenta said “I just hope we can sustain our momentum.”

Negros Billiards Stable (NBS) president and co-founder of BMPAP Jonathan “Bacolod” Sy added, “We should continue to pray for them.”

The Filipinos which is backed up by BSCP, Raya Sports, Bugsy Promotions and Negros Billiards Stable(NBS) had a great start, sweeping the 8-ball Scotch doubles event as the tandem of Ronato Alcano-Marlon Manalo and Orcullo-Warren Kiamco respectively scored 6-4 and 6-3 victories.

Japan based Antonio “Nickoy”Lining, the pride of Pinamalayan,Oriental Mindoro,made it 3-0 for RP with an 8-3 win over Mariusz Skoneczny in the first 9-ball game.

Poland, however, forged a deciding third event (10-ball) when Mateusz Sniegocki beat Alcano (8-4) in the second 9-ball game.

Poland then made it two in a row with another win by Karol Skowerski over two-time BSCP National Pool Championships ruler Lee Vann Corteza (7-5) in the first 10-ball duel before Orcullo stepped up and clinched the tie for RP.

Great Britain and Greece, meantime hurdle their respective rivals to complete the final four.

Powered by world 9-ball champion Daryl Peach and world 10-ball champion Darren Appleton, Great Britain edged China (4-3) while Greece headed by Evangelos Vettas blasted Switzerland (4-0).

The 48-nation tournament, the first of its kind and sanctioned by the World Pool Billiard Association (WPA), stakes a total purse of $400,000 (roughly P19.2 million) and uses a point-system scoring patterned after the famous Davis Cup in international tennis where the champion team gets the lion’s share of $100,000 (roughly P4.7 million) in the race-to-4 affair.

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO.