Pinoys lead chase for P25-M purse

World Cup champions Efren "Bata" Reyes and Francisco "Django" Bustamante swept their respective groups in emphatic fashions to lead the siege of the fancied Filipino campaigners in the opener of the rich IPT World Open 8-ball Championship at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino in Reno, Nevada Sunday.

Reyes, whose team up with Bustamante produced an impressive 13-5 victory over the United States to claim the inaugural World Cup crown in Newport, Wales recently, routed Lee Heuwagen, 8-0, blasted Gerda Hofstatter, 8-2, whipped Gezer Bulunmaz, 8-1, and thwarted Mike Lebron, 8-4, to top Group 4 and tow two others in the next round of the $3-million event which stakes a whopping $500,000 (P25 million) to the champion.

"I think I’m okay now," said Reyes when earlier asked whether or not he would advance after three games. "I don’t know if I broke good or not. In the beginning I don’t make a ball, then I scratched many times. My opening is not good, which is why I have been lucky. I feel good, I don’t play good this morning, but I will be okay in the next round."

Bustamante, the former world No. 1, beat Roman Hybler, 8-2, John Wims, 8-4, Michael Davis, 8-5, and Wade Crane, 8-4, to likewise reign in Group 12 of the 40-group, five-player field where the top three players after a round-robin series will advance to the next round.

Five other Filipinos advanced via sweep in an overpowering show of pool talent with Warren Kiamco lording it over the field in Group I that also saw the ouster of North American 8-ball champion Thorsten Hohmann. Kiamco defeated Hohmann, 8-3, held off Steve Moore, 8-5, and ripped Jon Jones and Jim Raney via the same 8-1 scores.

Marlon Manalo dominated Group 2 with victories over Charles Williams, 8-3, Scotty Townsend, 8-4, Thomas Kennedy, 8-5, and Rafael Gonzalez, 8-0; Dennis Orcollo rapped veteran Nick Varner, 8-5, Glenn Atwell, 8-5, Michael Massey, 8-2, and Jackie Broadhurst, 8-2 , to top Group 3; Ronnie Alcano came away with the most imposing start in Group 11 with wins over Sarah Ellerby, 8-1, Wayne Catledge, 8-2, David Alcaide, 8-3, and Mary Kenniston, 8-0.

Not to be outdone, former world 9-ball champion Alex Pagulayan nipped Kevin Becker, 8-7, tripped Jon Kucharo, 8-6, downed Charles Bryant, 8-4, and Frank Alvarez, 8-1, to show the way in Group 13.

Rodolfo Luat, winner of the San Miguel Asian Tour leg, produced three victories over Quinten Hann, 8-2, Jeremy Jones, 8-1, and Ewa Laurance, 8-2, to top the tough Group 18. He dropped a 2-8 decision to US-based Filipino legend Jose Parica.

Three of the 12 Filipinos seeing action are still playing at presstime with Antonio Lining hoping to advance with two wins in Group 19 and Santos Sambajon and Ramil Gallego eyeing easy outing in Groups 32 and 37, respectively.

The 80 players who failed to advance in the first round took home $5,000 each.

The second round is set Tuesday with the 120 players to be grouped in 20 of six players each with the top three advancing to the next round. Those who will not advance will earn $7,000.