Orcollo cruises past Spanish foe in World 9-ball joust

MANILA, Philippines – Fancied Filipino cuemaster Dennis Orcollo lived up to expectations and easily hurdled his first assignment in the group stages of the WPA World 9-ball Championship Sunday night at Al Arabi Sports Club in Doha, Qatar.

Orcollo, a former world titlist, stormed to a comfortable 9-4 win over Spain’s Francisco Diaz Pizarro to start his bid in Group 13 on a fiery note.

Qatar-based veteran Antonio Gabica (Group 16) and qualifier Jeffrey Ignacio (Group 15) likewise took care of business on their respective groups, beating Kuwaiti Omar Alsheen, 9-3, and Sweden’s Andreas Gerwen, 9-7, to join Phl's early victors.

Orcollo, Gabica and Ignacio need one more victory to book slots to the Final 64.

Meanwhile, Lee Vann Corteza rebounded from his opening-day loss with a 9-7 victory over the UAE’s Mohamed Al Hosaini, 9-7, in the losers’ side of Group 7 to stay alive.

Qatar-based Pinoy Francisco Felicilda also emerged victorious in the losers’ bracket of Group 12, keeping his aspirations going with a 9-7 of Lebanon’s Mohammad Berjaoui.

Not as lucky was Qatar-based Amir Rota, who suffered his second straight defeat in Group 9, 8-9 to China’s Zhu Xi He. Rota was the first among the Filipinos to crash out of the tourney.

Last Saturday, world No. 4 Carlo Biado (Group 8), No. 5 Warren Kiamco (Group 5) and 2014 quarterfinalist Johann Chua won their opening matches to move on the brink of berths to the KO stages.

Biado whipped Brunei’s Fahad Kahlat, 9-6, while Kiamco demolished Norway’s Vegar Kristiansen, 9-2, and Chua trounced local bet Ali Obaidy, 9-7.

Oliver Medenilla (Group 5) and Raymond Faraon (Group 4) likewise won on Day 1 over Qatari Mohana Obaidy (9-2) and South Africa’s Francois Ellis (9-3), respectively.