POWER-BREAKER DE LUNA BOOK QUARTER-FINALS SEAT IN FUJAIRAH WORLD 8-BALL

POWER-BREAKER Jeffrey “The Bull” de Luna is slowly making his presence felt in the Etisalat WPA World 8-Ball Pool Championship 2010.

De Luna, the 2007 Manny Pacquiao International 9-Ball Champion, secured a seat in the quarterfinal round late Friday at the Fujairah Tennis Club in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates after beating his rivals.

The former dance instructor turned professional pool player scored a 10-8 win over Indon Ricky Yang in the round-of-32 and coasted to a 10-2 triumph against countryman Lee Vann “The Slayer” Corteza in the round-of-16 late Thursday to move into the next round of the week-long event sanctioned by the World Pool Billiard Association (WPA).

“Sana mahawakan ko y’ung momentum,” said de Luna, who is best to remember winning the silver medal in the 2006 Doha Asian Games 9-ball competition.

He will be joined in the Final Eight by compatriots Venancio “Tukao” Tanio and snooker specialist Joven Alba as well Russian Ruslan Chinakhov, Niels “The Terminator” Feijen of the Netherlands, Andreas Roshkowski of Germany, Karl Boyes and Darren Appleton of Great Britain, the 2008 WPA World Ten-Ball Champion.

Tanio nipped Jalal Al Saresi of UAE, 10-6, and 2007 WPA World 8-ball titlist Ronato “Volcano” Alcano, 10-4, Alba, on the other hand trounced Oliver Medanilla, 10-3, and Antonio Gabica, 10-8, Chinakhov beat current WPA World World Ten-Ball Champion Mika “The Iceman” Immonen of Finland, 10-5, and Yukio Akakariyama of Japan, 10-7, Feijen crushed Basher Hussain of UAE, 10-5, and edged reigning WPA World 8-Ball Champion Ralf “Kaiser” Souquet of Germany, 10-9, Boyes hammered Masaki Tanaka of Japan, 10-3, and Stephan Cohen of France, 10-6, and Appleton defeated John Morra of Canada, 10-4, and Pin Yi Ko of Chinese-Taipei, 10-4.

Earlier, Corteza edged 2009 International Predator Champion Dennis “Robocop” Orcullo, 10-9, Raymond Faraon lost to Ko, 10-1, Gabica bested Marlon “Marvelous” Manalo, 10-6, and Alcano subdued Scott Higgins of Great Brtian, 10-3, in the round-of-32.

The Final Eight match-up late Friday, de Luna against Chinakhov, Tanio opposite Boyes, Feijen versus Roshkowski and Alba versus Appleton.

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO.