Chua, 2 others survive as veterans fall

MANILA, Philippines - Unfancied Johann Chua, Raymund Faraon and Elmer Haya took charge for the Philippines after the veterans fell one after the other, crashing into the Round-of-32 in the 23rd WPA world 9-ball championship yesterday at Al Saad Sports Club in Doha, Qatar.

Chua, a last-minute entry, sustained his impressive run with an 11-4 romp over Italian Daniele Corrieri to secure a spot in the Final-32 of the $200,000 World Pool-Billiard Association tournament.

Fellow qualifiers Faraon and Haya followed suit, turning back Taiwanese Liu Chieng  Chieh, 11-5, and Filipino qualifier Francisco Felicilda, 11-4, respectively, in the first day of the knockout stages.

The trio’s victory came on the heels of shocking defeats by Warren Kiamco and Lee Van Corteza in the other tables of the Last-64. Kiamco fell to Chinese Wang Can, 9-11, while Corteza succumbed to Qatari Waleed Maed, 6-11, to bow out of the event. They settled for $1,500 apiece.

Former champion Dennis Orcollo, 2013 runner-up Antonio Gabica, Carlo Biado, Jeff de Luna, and Ramil Gallego – the other Filipinos left in contention – were to play their respective Round-of-64 assignments at presstime.

Earlier, Efren “Bata” Reyes dropped an 8-9 setback to British Karl Boyes and bowed out of the knockout stages.

His usual efficiency and wizardry abandoning him in the well-watched win-or-go-home match, Reyes committed a couple of unlikely miscues that hastened his downfall in the $200,000 World Pool-Billiard Association-sanctioned tournament.

Reyes was ahead, 5-4, but uncharacteristically bungled a straight-in, four-foot 9-ball, allowing Boyes to equalize and get on the hill, 8-6. The ace Pinoy cuemaster managed to catch up at 8-all only to let a safety go astray as Boyes cleared up for the win.

It was Reyes’ second loss in three outings in Group 9 in the double-elimination format group matches as the once-feared pool wizard took the exit to the shock of a good-sized Pinoy fans in the venue.

Reyes was one of only three Filipinos who failed to advance to the Round-of-64, leaving Phl with 11 bets to continue the chase for gold.

Veterans Warren Kiamco (Group 6), Lee Van Corteza (Group 16), and Ramil Gallego (Group 4) and Felicilda (Group 12) made up for the shock departure of Reyes as they hurdled their respective rivals in other make-or-break outings.

Kiamco trailed Venezuelan Failin Guanipa, 8-6, but pounced on the latter’s nervous pocketing in the next three racks to steal the win, 9-6.

For their part, Corteza easily dispatched UAE bet Omran Salem, 9-4, while Gallego proved unstoppable in a 9-3 rout of Croatian Michel Bartol and Felicilda tripped Vietnamese Nguyen Anh Tua, 9-6.

Other Pinoy cuemasters who had earlier got through to the Last-64 were ex-champ Orcollo, 2013 runner-up Gabica, Biado, De Luna, Chua, Faraon, Haya.

Joining Reyes in the showers were qualifiers Elvis Calasang and Isreal Rota.  Calasang yielded to Austrian Albin Ouschan, 0-9, in Group 10, while Rota fell to Portuguese Manuel Gama, 7-9, in Group 16 as the tourney cut the 128-man field down to half going to the money rounds.