MANILA, Philippines – Unranked Team Philippines stayed on track of its crack at a record fourth World Cup of Pool crown as James Aranas and Johann Chua escaped in a hill-hill match, 9-8, to bundle out brothers Pin Yi and Ping Chung Ko of Taiwan at the Pazo de Feiras E Congresos de Lugo in Spain Saturday night.
The Filipinos’ thrilling victory in the race-to-9 match sent them to the semifinals of the sport’s premier team tournament. They will face the winner of the other quarterfinal clash pitting Great Britain and Austria being played at presstime.
Aranas and Chua actually blew what had appeared to be a commanding 8-2 lead as the Taiwanese prevailed in a battle of safeties to snatch the 11th rack and the latter went on to rack up a string of run-outs and force a hill-hill finish.
But they missed on No. 2 in the deciding rack, leading to a Chua conversion and the Filipinos flashed superb control and preparations the rest of the way to clinch the win.
Also on tap are the Last 8 duels between Germany versus Poland, and China against Japan.
Aranas and Chua booted out two teams from the host country in a race-to-7 affair, including a 7-2 rout of last year’s champion Spain B, after edging Spain A, 7-5, last Tuesday.
The winner will pocket the top purse of $60,000.
The Philippines last ruled the event in 2013 behind Dennis Orcollo and Lee Van Corteza in London for its third championship but Carlo Biado and Jeff de Luna lost to the Austrians when the Philippines last made it to the finals in 2019, also in England.
Behind Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante, the Philippines topped the inaugural staging of the event in 2006 in Wales with the Filipino legends winning again two years later at home.