Team Philippines played true to form and cut Denmark down to size as it fashioned out an 8-2 romp to advance into the second round of the World Cup of Pool at the Outland Nightclub in Rotterdam, Holland Thursday.
World No. 1 Dennis Orcollo and Francisco “Django” Bustamante dominated the Danish pair of Martin Larsen and Kasper Kristoffersen, sweeping the first three racks en route to the one-sided victory that set them up against the Russian tandem of Konstantin Stepanov, the former European No. 1, and Ruslan Chinahov. The Russians defeated Malaysians Ibrahim bin Amir and Lee Poh Soon, 8-4, in the opening round.
“We really tried to control the match early to prevent any upset,” said Orcollo, whose campaign with Bustamante is supported by Senate President Manny Villar’s Villards: Tulong sa Pagsulong ng Philippine Sports and the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines (BMPAP).
“It was a good start but it’s still a long way to go so we need to play better in the next matches,“ said Bustamante.
Other first round matches saw Croatia edge Spain, 8-7, and Japan down Australia, 8-5.
Defending champion China and Austria, meanwhile, made it to the quarterfinals ahead over everybody else as they disposed of their respective rivals in the week-long event offering a $60,000 cash prize to the winner.
The top seeded Chinese tandem of Fu Jianbo and Li He-wen turned back Switzerland’s Marco Tschudi and Dmitri Jungo, 8-7, while the Austrian pair of Jasmin Ouschan and Martin Kempter outlasted Belgium’s Serge Das Noel Bruynooghe, 8-6.
Other round-of-16 matches pit fourth seed Germany against No. 13 Poland; No. 5 England versus No. 12 Canada; No. 6 the United States vs Croatia; No. 9 Italy against Korea and No. 10 Japan versus Holland’s Team B.
A scratch on the break in the fourth rack slowed down the Filipino pair as the Danes scored, only to yield the fifth frame after making a foul shot while trying to come up with a jump shot on the blue-2.
The two teams split the next two racks, before the Filipinos, winner in 2006, claimed the next three for the win.