REYES, CORTEZA LEADS ADVANCE OF FILPINOS IN DOHA WORLD POOL CHAMPIONSHIPS KO STAGE

SIXTEEN Filipinos led by pool legend Efren “Bata” Reyes and Lee Vann “The Slayer” Corteza continued to bring honor to the country and line their pockets as well in the 2010 World Pool Championships (World 9-Ball) at the Qatar Billiards and Snooker Federation hall in Doha, Qatar.

The 55-year-old Reyes, top player of Puyat Sports, who is fresh from winning the Spanish Open last week in Vigo, Spain blanked Ihab Hassan of Egypt, 9-0, on Friday to join 15 others Pinoy Tumbok king in the Last 64 which using a single knock-out format in this World Pool-Billiards Association (WPA) sanctioned tournament.

Aside from Reyes, Corteza, Antonio “Ga-Ga” Gabica and Jeffrey “The Bull” de Luna also made it to the next phase of the $250,000 total pot prize event through the loser’s brackets which offers$36,000 to the champion.

The Davao City native Corteza, the pride of Negros Billiards Stable (NBS) toppled Mohanna Obaidly of Qatar, 9-3, Gabica nipped Corey Deuel of the United States, 9-3, and de Luna waylaid Khalid Almutari of Kuwait, 9-3.

Other Filipino pool sharks who earlier made it to the knock-out stage are Dennis Orcullo, Ronato Alcano, Antonio Lining, Venancio Tanio, Allan Cuartero, Francisco Felisilda, Raymund Faraon, Oliver Medenilla, Israel Rota, Venancio Tanio , Marlon Manalo and Joven Alba.

” Malaki ang tsansa na Filipino ang magkampeon sa Doha World Pool Championships. Y’ung turning point ay 16 players natin lahat nakapasok sa round-of-64  matapos ang group stage sa 128 players field at maganda pa ang draw nila dahil hindi sila nagkatapat-tapat sa knock-out stage,” said Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP) co-founder Jonathan “Bacolod” Sy, the long-time benefactor of Corteza, the 2009 World Ten Ball Championships runner-up.

In the Last 64, Jeffrey de Luna  versus Chang Jung-lin, Francisco Felisilda versus Bashar Hussain, Raymund Faraon versus Artem Koshovoj of Ukraine, Marlon Manalo versus Lu Hui Chan, Joven Alba versus Shane Van Boening, Francisco “Django” Bustamante versus Oliver Ortmann, Lee Vann Corteza versus Tony Drago, Oliver Medenilla versus Yukio Akakariyama, Antonio Lining versus Lee Poh Soon, Efren “Bata” Reyes versus Johnny Archer, Dennis  Orcullo versus Bruno Muratore, Venancio Tanio versus Ralf Souquet, Allan Cuartero versus Nick Van Den Berg, Ronato Alcano versus Muhammad Zulfikri, Israel Rota versus Jason Klatt and Antonio Gabica versus Craig Osbome.

BY: MARLON BERNARDINO