Aranas, Chua gain World Cup of Pool semis

MANILA, Philippines — With a stroke of luck and sustained shot-making magnificence by James Aranas and Johann Chua, the World Cup of Pool title could be back in the Philippines after a long wait.

Pouncing on a critical late miscue by their foes, Aranas and Chua survived Taiwanese brothers Ko Pin Yi and Ko Ping Chung in a nerve-racking hill-hill duel, 9-8, Saturday to make the semifinals of the 16th edition of the annual event in Lugo, Spain.

The other semis bracket pits Germany’s Joshua Filler and Mortiz Neuhausen versus China’s Wu Jiaqing and Wang Can.

The unranked Filipino pair was battling the fourth-seeded tandem of Albin Ouschan and Mario He at presstime. The Pinoys were two victories away from reclaiming the crown the country last won exactly a decade ago when Dennis Orcollo and Lee Van Corteza turned back the Netherlands’ Niels Feijen and Nick van den Berg, 10-8, in London, England.

That triumph was the last of the three the Filipino pool masters had won, tying the Philippines with China with the most titles.

Carlo Biado and Jeff de Luna had a shot at delivering a record fourth title four years ago in Leicester, England but succumbed to the eventual winners Ouschan and He, 11-3.