Reyes, Alcano, Bustamante To See Action on Day 1 of World Pool
By Marlon Bernardino
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 15 Oct 2007
MANILA, PHILIPPINES -- Billiards Hall-of-Famer Efren "Bata" Reyes will see action on Day 1 of the 2007 Philippines World PoolChampionship at Araneta Coliseum, along with two other Filipino bets, according to the match pairings and draw released by Matchroom Sport and Raya Sports.
Defending champion Ronnie "Volcano" Alcano and Joven Bustamante are the other Filipinos who will go to battle on Saturday, November 3. The top seed in Group 6, Reyes, the 1999 world champion, battles one of the players who will emerge from the Manila WPC qualifiers beginning on Oct. 27 at the Star Billiards Center in Quezon City. Alcano kicks off his title-retention bid against little-known Saeed Ahmed Al-Mutawa, the reigning champion of the United Arab Emirates, in Group 1 of the elimination round. Bustamante, who recently won the 4th Korean International Championship, makes his debut in Group 4 against Malaysia's Ibrahim bin Amir, who finished No.7 overall in the Guinness 9-ball Tour.
The second day of the elimination series on Nov. 4 has five Filipinos making their appearance in the championship. Canada-based and 2004 WPC champion Alex "the Lion"Pagulayan will play North African champion Hamsa Mohammed Saeed Ali of Eritrea in his Group 8 opening match. Perennial favorite Francisco "Django" Bustamante and Antonio "Nickoy" Lining also share the spotlight on the second day when they compete in Group 9. Bustamante tackles South African Wetsi Morake even as the southpaw Lining, considered by some as one of the more underrated Filipino cue artists, takes on South
Korea's Jeong Young Hwa.
Bacolod City native Ramil "Bebeng" Gallego joins the fray when he meets Singapore's Chan Keng Kwang inGroup 7, while Asian Games gold medalist Lee VanCorteza goes up against Serbian Goran Vladenovic inGroup 12.Up and coming Jeffrey "Bata" de Luna and former Asian snooker titlist Marlon Manalo will start their bid inDay 3 of the elimination series. The 23-year-old De Luna, a 2005 Doha Asian Gamessilver medalist, plays Serbia's Sandor Tot in Group 5, while Manalo, best remembered for pocketing $99,000 after losing in the finals of the 2006 IPT NorthAmerican 8-ball Open to Germany's Thorsten Hohmann, faces Austrian Dejan Dabovic in Group 14.
On the final day of the elimination phase, Nov. 6, Dennis "Robo Cop" Orcullo and Rodolfo "Boy Samson" Luat will strut their wares. Orcullo, currently running fourth in the US tour moneylist with $59,700 in earnings, vies against HongKong's Kenny Kwok in Group 13 while Luat rounds up thecast when he meets Singapore's Toh Lian Han in Group16. The 128 player field is divided into 16 groups ofeight players who will be playing in double elimination brackets to halve the field to 64 for thestraight knockout play which commences on Wednesday,Nov. 7. All ten matches in each group will take place on twotables on the same day.
All matches are a race-to-9 racks, winner's break.
The Group schedule is as follows: Saturday, Nov. 3 ? Groups 1, 3, 4 & 6 Sunday, Nov. 4 ? Groups 7, 8, 9 & 12 Monday, Nov. 5 ? Groups 2, 5, 10 & 14 Tuesday, Nov. 6 ? Groups 11, 13, 15 & 16.
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