Ranola enters quarters; Amit out

RP bet Iris Ranola did what compatriot Rubilen Amit failed to do, hurdling three Japanese yesterday to become the lone Filipino survivor in the quarterfinals of the $30,000 Enerva Asian 9-ball Tour Ladies Championship at the Robinson’s Galleria.

Barely surviving the opening day matches with a one-win, one-loss mark, Ranola, 26, came into the second day oozing with confidence as she blanked Sakiko Namiki, 9-0, and then trounced Kazuko Shimizu, 9-4, to stay alive in the three-day, 32-player double-elimination format event participated in by some of the world’s top women’s cue artists.

She then smashed Masami Nouchi, 9-4, in the nightcap to advance into the quarterfinal round where she will be pitted against a dangerous Pei Chun Li of Chinese Taipei, who dealt her only loss in the tournament.

Pei bundled out Japanese Chihiro Kawahara, 9-5, to set up a 10 a.m. re-match with Ranola today.

"These wins are for my father, he’s my inspiration," said the petite Ranola referring to father Emilio, who’s suffering from throat cancer in their home in Divisoria, Zamboanga City.

The 23-year-old Amit, meanwhile, absorbed a heartbreaking 7-9 loss to Japan’s Akimi Kajitani and crashed out of the tournament staking $10,000 to the champion.

"I was really unlucky in this game, I made crucial mistakes," said Amit, a double gold medalist in December’s 23rd Southeast Asian Games, in Filipino.

Amit, whose other loss came against another Japanese Chihiro Kawahara in Day 1, ran into a maze of errors, twice scratching her shot in the crucial 12th and 15th racks.

Ranola, who battled her way through the tough qualifying round to join Amit in the main draw, rammed intoLi and dropped a 7-9 decision earlier .

She actually posted a 4-0 lead in the early going but hobbled her way with five scratches in the next 12 racks to drop the match.

But she came back strong and walloped Malaysian Suhana Dewi, 9-4, Wednesday night and then added two more Japanese into her growing list of victims, including Shimizu, whom she also defeated in the World Pool Championship where she finished 32nd and in the Japan Open last month.

"I just told myself to cool down and not be frustrated with my mistakes, and it worked for me," said Ranola, who gave up her studies at Ateneo de Zamboanga where she is a second year accounting student to pursue the sport three years ago.

Ranola was taking on Masami Nouchi, a 4-9 loser to Yuan Chun Lin of Chinese Taipei, also of Japan at presstime and a victory would push her straight into the quarterfinals along with unbeaten Yuan, pretty Jui Fang Fan of Chinese Taipei, two-time world champion Ga Young Kim of Korea and Shu Pin Kao of Chinese Taipei.

Jui downed Japan’s Chihiro Kawahara, 9-5; Ga walloped charming Chinese Taipei No. 1 Jennifer Chen, 9-3; and Shu ended Thai Vuthidhan Kongkaket’s giant-slaying ways with a 9-3 triumph.

Also staying alive in loser’s bracket were Shu Han Chang of Chinese Taipei, who slammed Mika Muneta of Japan, 9-5, and Pei Chun Lin, a 9-5 winner over Keiko Yuukawa of Japan.