Django, Orcollo hurdle rivals but Reyes ousted

Manila, Philippines - Francisco “Django” Bustamante stayed in the hunt for back-to-back championships in the World 9-Ball while Dennis Orcollo pressed his title drive with a pair of victories in the first round of the knockout stage in Doha, Qatar Wednesday.

Bustamante sustained his fine form after an impressive showing in the elims, fashioning out an 11-3 romp over Sascha-Andrej Tege of Germany to arrange a showdown with Riyan Setiawan for a spot in the Last 16.

Orcollo, on the other hand, pulled off a cliffhanger over Muhammad Zulfikri of India, 11-9, to set up a clash with compatriot Caneda Villamor.

The unfancied Villamor shocked former champion and pool legend Efren “Bata” Reyes, scoring an emphatic 11-5 romp.

Seven other Filipinos hurdled their first round assignments with Ronnie Alcano bundling out Canadian Chris Orme, 11-7; and Lee Van Corteza disposing of Oliver Medenilla, 11-5, in a duel of Filipino bets.

Others who advanced in the $250,000 event were Carlo Biado, Alan Cuartero, Antonio Lining, Antonio Gabica and Vicenancio Tanio.

Biado subdued Takhti Zarekani of Iran, 11-6, Cuartero edged Ahmad Taufiq Murni of Brunei, 11-9; Lining outplayed Oliver Ortmann of Germany, 11-5; Gabica stunned Mika Immonen of Finland, 11-10; and Tanio upset Nick van den Berg of the Netherlands, 11-7.

Joining Reyes in the sidelines were Joven Alba, Israel Rota, Jeffrey de Luna, Roberto Gomez and Raymund Faraon.

Alba bowed to Chang Jun-lin of Chinese-Taipei, 5-11; Rota yielded to Chang Yu-lun of Chinese-Taipei, 9-11; de Luna lost to Fu Che wei of Chinese-Taipei, 9-11; Gomez took an 11-4 beating from Daryl Peach of Great Britain, 4-11; and Faraon dropped a 9-11 decision to Stephan Cohen of France.

Other second round matches pit Ralf Souquet versus Mariusz Skoneczny, Lo Li Wen against Tanio, Carlo Dalmatin versus Yukio Akakariyama, Corteza against Biado, Gabica versus Naoyuki Oi, Chris Melling against Mark Gray, Darren Appleton vs Cuartero, Shane Van Boening against Chang Jun Lin, Alcano vs Raj Hundal, Chang Yu Lun against Scott Higgins,Lining vs Roman Hybler, Hunter Lombardo against Toru Kuribayashi, Daryl Peach vs Fu Chei Wei, and Ko Pin Yi against Stephan Cohen.