Yet another strong finish for Raga

MANILA, Philippines — Fast-rising Anthony Raga continued to make a name in the international billiards scene after finishing a solid second in China Open 9-Ball Championships in Shanghai last Sunday.

Less than a month after a head-turning second-place finish in the European Pool Championship in Fulda, Germany, the 26-year-old money-game monster from Cebu City was at it again but came a win short from a his first international win after an 11-5 loss to 2018 World 9-Ball king Joshua Filler of Germany.

It was the second runner-up finish for the former Cebu-METC nautical student after falling to Spain’s David Alcaide in the European Pool Championship finale in a 13-12 hill-hill setback.

Raga, who pocketed $20,000 or a cool P1.1 million, also ended up at No. 2 in this same tournament’s last staging four years ago when he fell to Chinese Wu Jiaqing in an 11-10 heartbreaker.

On the way to the finals, Raga hurdled Mongolian Yeruult Amgalanbaatar, 11-7, Japanese Naoyuki Oi, 11-9, Chinese Liu Haitao, 11-5, and Taiwanese Wu Kun-Lin, 11-6. He was also the best-placed Filipino after countrymen Carlo Biado, James Aranas and Jeff Ignacio.

Rubilen Amit was also entered in the women’s side but crashed out in the quarters.