Bata-Django exacts revenge on Thais

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino pool greats Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante settled an old score with Thais Nitiwat Kanjanasri and Surathep Phoochalam, pulling off an easy 8-3 win to start their title defense in the World Cup of Pool 2010 at the Midtown Wing of Robinson’s Place Ermita yesterday.

Reyes and Bustamante brandished a near flawless game to avenge an upset at the hands of Kanjanasri and Phoochalam during the quarterfinals of the 2007 SEA Games 9-ball doubles in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand.

The two had different thoughts on the victory.

“I’m happy we’ve taken revenge. We waited three long years to get it done,” said Bustamante.

“Sorry, but I don’t think we’ve already got even with them. They denied us of a gold medal in the SEA Games. We can’t win that gold medal here,” said Reyes.

In dumping the Thais, Reyes and Bustamante advanced to the WCP second round versus the Indon duo of Muhammad Zulfikri and Ricky Yang.

Four dry breaks by Bustamante and an illegal break by Reyes marred an otherwise perfect game by the Filipinos who are out for a third crown in this annual championship first held in 2006.

Germany’s Ralf Souquet and Oliver Ortmann, runners-up to the Filipinos over at SM North EDSA last year, crushed Hong Kong’s Lee Chenman and Kenny Kwok, 8-4, earlier.

Unseeded Russia pulled off a shocker in Day One of the six-day world pool event among 32 big teams when it rallied from a 0-4 deficit in stunning 12th ranked Canada, 8-4.

Konstantin Stepanov and Ruslan Chinakhov displayed superb pocketing when they finally got the chance at the green-felt table, blowing past John Morra and Jason Klatt and into the second round versus the German pair.

Sixteenth ranked Indonesia fashioned out its own come-from-behind in nipping India, 8-7, while eighth seed China dumped Belgium, 8-2, and No. 9 Italy tripped Korea, 8-6.

“We were nervous at the beginning and they played well. But we were just waiting for a mistake and when they made one and we took two racks,” said Stepanov.

“We gave them the play again but they didn’t take it and made a stupid foul (when Klatt’s shirt touched a ball) and that was the main moment of the match,” Stepanov added.

Stepanov and Chinakhov were hopeful of their chance in the second round.

“We could play Germany and that will be a tough match. The German team is really special with Ralf (Souquet). But their (Souquet-Oliver Ortmann) relationship is not perfect and I don’t know how comfortable they feel so we will see what happens,” said Stepanov.

Italians Fabio Petroni and Bruno Muratore were the day’s spoilers for the hometown crowd as they bundled out the all-female Korean team of Yu Ram Cha and Ga Young Kim.