Cue artists off to big start in 8-ball, 9-ball

GUANGZHOU – Filipino cue artists Dennis Orcollo, Warren Kiamco, Rubilen Amit and Iris Ranola got their gold medal bids going in the 8-ball and 9-ball events as they disposed of their opponents with consummate ease in the first round of competitions yesterday at the Asian Games Town Center.

Trying to slay the ghost that befell his world-famous compatriots, Orcollo made mincemeat of Mongolian pretender Purevusen Odkhuu, 9-2, and advanced to the Last 16 of the men’s 9-ball singles.

The win is a relief after the first round exits of compatriots Efren Reyes and Roberto Gomez in the 8-ball singles, Renaldo Grandea in the carom and English Billiards, Rodolfo Luat in the carom, and Marlon Manalo and Benjamin Guevarra in the snooker team event.

Orcollo is top seed in the event while teammate Warren Kiamco, who was playing his match against Thai Phoochalam Surathe last night, is the second seed, making possible an all-Filipino final in the event which both have dominated in the US and Asia.

Things are also looking up in the women’s 9-Ball singles where former world 10-Ball champion and Southeast Asian Games gold medalist Rubilen Amit advanced to the Last 16 where she joins Iris Ranola, who disposed of Half Alnaser of Kuwait, 7-1.

Amit and Ranola also crushed their Mongolian foes in separate matches in the 8-ball singlees. Amit downed Uyanga Battulga, 5-0, while Ranola topped Zorigt Zoljargal, 5-3, to advance to today’s Last 16.

Three golds would be big achievement for the gold-starved world-class cue artists who started their title bid Monday on a sour note.

In 8-Ball singles which drew 42 participants, Reyes and Gomez exited as early as the first round.

Reyes lost to Kumar Alok of India, 7-1, while Gomez dropped a 7-5 decision to Sumit Talwar of India, both in the Round of 32.

Kuo Po Cheng of Taipei defeated Kumar to win the gold. Talwar reached as far as the semifinals where he was ousted by Indonesian Israel Nasution.

In men’s team snooker, which had 20 doubles entries, Guevarra and Manalo lost to Vafaei Ayouri Vahedi of Iran, 3-1. China’s top seed team won the gold in a showdown with Pakistan.

The women’s 6-Red snooker team event, which billiards president Bong Ilagan said would produce surprise winners from the Philippines, did not go beyond the quarterfinals.

Mary Ann Basas and Floriza Andal succumbed to China’s Chen Xue and her partner, 3-0, in the event which was won by the Hongkong pair over China.

In men’s English billiards singles, Grandea, the lone entry, bowed to

Chaithansakun of Thailand, 3-1, in the Last 16. India’s Pankaj Advani won the gold over Oo Nto of Myanmar, 3-2.