RP bets face tall odds in 9-ball

Reigning double world champion Ronnie Alcano and former world 9-ball titlist Alex Pagulayan try to snap the Philippines’ title drought in the 2007 Guinness 9-Ball Tour as they open their respective bids in the fourth leg of the $320,000 event at the Orchid Country Club in Singapore today.

Alcano and Pagulayan drew tough brackets in the round-robin elims with the former heading the Group D cast that includes local star Eric Tan and the latter joining Group A, led by Order of Merit frontrunner and double leg champion – Jakarta and Malaysia –Chang Jung-lin of Taiwan.

Two other Filipinos are also in the fold with Marlon Manalo bracketed with Singapore’s top player Ricky Yang and Roberto Gomez joining the group of India’s Dharminder Singh Lilly, losing finalist in the Genting Highlands leg.

Wu Chia-Ching and Chao Fong-Pang, two former world 9-ball champions, are also competing in the three-day, annual nation-hopping event organized by ESPN STAR Sports, Asia’s number one sports broadcaster.

With Yang Ching-shun lording it over in the second leg in Kaohsiung, the Taiwanese have swept the first three stages of the circuit, which the Filipinos, through Efren “Bata” Reyes, dominated in the past, including a sweep of last year’s edition.

Up for grabs in the Singapore stop is a total prize purse of $50,000 as well as points to qualify for the Tour’s Grand Final in Bali on Aug. 31-Sept. 2, which will feature the top 10 players in the overall Order of Merit.

Winners of each leg receive $15,000 while the grand champion will pocket $36,000.

With six stops, this is the biggest tour since its inception in 2003. Following Singapore, the tour will visit Shanghai in August and conclude in Indonesia for the grand final in Bali.