Alcano takes second place honors
American Shane Van Boening reaffirmed his mastery over the reigning World 9-Ball and 8-Ball champion Ronnie “Volcano” Alcano of the
Van Boening, who pocketed US$50,000, was also responsible for dealing Alcano his first defeat in the week-long poolfest. After Alcano missed a 3-ball at a 9-4 combination, Van Boening cleaned up the table and then broke and ran out en route to an 11-4 demolition of the Pinoy shotmaker in their winner’s bracket semifinal duel.
Van Boening then subdued Japanese Tomoko Mekari, 11-9, to advance into the finals without any glitch. He took an early 5-0 lead, but two lucky 9-balls by Mekari allowed the Japanese to pull closer, 3-5.
Van Boening zoomed ahead, 7-3, but Mekari staged another daring rally to even the count at 9-all. That was the best Mekari could muster as Van Boening mopped up the next two racks.
Alcano, on the other hand, stayed alive after crushing Louis Ulrich, 11-3, in his first assignment at the loser’s bracket. Ulrich was the conqueror of Dennis “Robocop” Orcollo.
Alcano then edged out
Alcano, however, did not succeed in exacting vengeance as Van Boening fought with a lot of heart and personified fortitude when the game was on the line to dominate the Filipino cue master anew.
Indeed, the 24-year-old Van Boening is on a rampage. Before clinching the US Open crown, he finished second to Orcollo in the EnjoyPool.com 9-Ball Championships last May and then bagged his first major title by topping the World 10-Ball Championships later in the month.
Alcano, for his part, took home US$25,000 and will shift his focus next to his title defense in the 2007 World Pool Championship to be hosted by the country for the second straight year on November 3 to 11 at the cavernous Araneta Coliseum in Cubao,
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