Double world champion Ronnie Alcano reasserted his mastery over pool legend Efren “Bata” Reyes while Jose “Amang” Parica flashed vintage form to defeat Francisco “Django” Bustamante in the US Open 9-ball Championship at the Chesapeake Convention Center in Chesapeake, Virginia Thursday.
Alcano, who also beat Reyes, 10-7, on his way to the world 9-ball crown last year, fashioned out an 11-7 victory over the 1999 world champion to stay in the winners’ side and in hunt for the hot seat.
Parica, on the other hand, snatched an 11-8 win over the fancied Bustamante to join 15 other unbeaten players in the week-long tournament which attracted 233 players from around the world.
Alcano takes on compatriot Warren Kiamco in the fifth round Friday while Parica clashes with Tyler Edey, who upended former world champion Thorsten Hohmann, 11-8, in their own side of the duel.
Kiamco outplayed Lee Van Corteza, 11-6.
Dennis Orcollo also advanced with an 11-4 win over Tony Crosby to set up a fifth round duel with James Walden in Bracket 2.
Reyes and Bustamante, meanwhile, try to recover lost grounds in the losers’ side although Alex Pagulayan took a 9-11 setback from Michael Dechaine, his second, to bow out of the tournament.
Others who remained in the winners’ side were Louis Ulrich, Tony Robles, Allen Hopkins, Tomoki Mikari, Ralf Souquet, Johnny Archer, Mike Davis, Corey Deuel, Ronnie Wiseman and Shane Van Boening.