WPC UPDATE: ALCANO, UCHIGAKI IN ROUND OF 64; INCENTIVES FOR TAIWAN PLAYERS
By Marlon Bernardino
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 04 Nov 2007
RONATO ALCANO ENTERS ROUND OF-64
QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES -- Ronnie Alcano flashed his toothless smile and winning form yesterday to lead the charge of Filipino cue artists in the World Pool Championship yesterday at the Araneta Coliseum.
With the knockout rounds in sight, Alcano didn't waste time ? and much effort ? in dispatching Harold Stolka, 9-1, and grabbing a seat in the next round.
Alcano earlier downed Saeed Ahmed Al-Mutawa of the United Arab Emirates, 9-3.
"Kapag winner's break kailangan talaga maganda ang start mo (We need to play good at the start of the game in the winner's break system," said Alcano.
Same couldn't be said on Efren "Bata" Reyes.
The charismatic pool icon was ambushed in the opening match by Japanese upstart Kenichi Uchigaki, 2-9.
He barely staved off elimination by rallying from several three-rack deficits before beating Taiwanese Liu Chun-chuan, 9-7.
Liu jumped the gun on Reyes, 3-0, and maintained a 6-3 cushion midway in match. But when push came to shove, Reyes was at his best.
After a scratch by Liu on the 10th, Reyes clustered five straight racks to take the lead, 8-6, and stay alive.
Antonio "Ga-Ga" Gabica took a different route to the ropes, winning his opener before dropping his second match.
The 2006 Asian Games gold medalist clobbered Bruno Muratore of Italy, 9-1. But he fell to Lu Hui-chan of Taiwan, 2-9.
Joven Bustamante, one of the dark horses in the tournament organized by Matchroom Sport and Raya Sports, made good on his debut, toppling Ibrahim Bin Amir, a Filipino representing Malaysia, 9-8, in the event will be aired on ESPN Star Sports and Studio 23.
With the double elimination format taking effect, Reyes and Gabica should prevail on their last outing to make it past the group play.
Former world champion Wu Chia-ching was also on the ropes, losing to Vilmos Foldes of Hungary, 7-9.
Yang Ching-shun, considered by many as the best Taiwanese player today, lost to countryman Lu Hui-chan, 5-9.
Uchigaki, a qualifier, followed up his win over Reyes with a 9-3 dismantling of Alain Martel of Canada.
JAPANESE UCHIGAKI ADVANCE ROUND-OF-64
BEFORE the World Pool Championships start, Kenichi Uchigaki is a nobody in world of pool but after his first match ended yesterday, the Japanese gave signal to his counterpart to be ready?
Why not? The 38-year-old Japanese blasted pool maestro and Filipino icon Efren "Bata" Reyes, a 9-2 victory in their Group 6 TV table matches.
"It's a wonderful game," said Uchigaki, pool instructor in his country regarding his upset win over Reyes.
"The Japanese play very well," explain Reyes after his match. The unknown Japanese player took a 2-0 lead in the opening round. He might be a possible 3-0 lead but the No.2 ball was rattle that gave Reyes for his first rack. A golden break in the 4th frame put Reyes back in the game to tie the match at 2-all count. However, a dry break of Reyes in the fifth frame gave Uchigaki a 3-2 lead in the race-to-9, winner' break format which will be aired on ESPN Star Sports and Studio 23.
Four consecutive racks put Uchigaki a 7-2 lead, but a missed 7-ball proved costly for Reyes as his opponent then clinched the last two racks.
The 53-year-old Reyes, meantime nipped Liu Cheng-chuan of Taiwan, 9-7, to remain in contention.
Uchigaki, on the other hand booked his seat to the round-of-64, a 9-3 win over Canada's Alain Martel.
INCENTIVES AWAITS FOR THE TAIWANESE IN WPC
Lu Hui-Chan of Taiwan earned himself a slot in the knockout rounds and at least $2,000 prize with a 9-2 win over Antonio "Ga-Ga" Gabica. Make it $2,500.
A Taiwan billiards player told the local media yesterday that their government is giving away $500 for every victory against a Filipino.
Taiwan team captain Hsiao Wen-liu added, Chinese-Taipei government will give an additional incentive of $30,000 to a Taiwanese who will emerge champion aside from pocketing the top prize of $100,000. $20,000 and $10,000 for the runner-up and third placer of a Taiwanese player. In fact, to concentrate their campaign and a part of strategy, the Taiwanese are billeted away from the rest of the WPC participants. They are staying in a hotel in Malate, Manila, not near Quezon City area. The Taiwan government also decided to subsidizes the $100 entry fee of very Taiwanese who played in the qualification tournament at the Star Paper Complex. They have sent 44 players in the qualification tournament were four of the 10 available slots were secured by Taiwanese, raising to 13 the number of players from Taiwan in the main draw of the World Pool Championships.
The Philippines has the most number of entries with 15 followed by the United States has 11 entries.
Meanwhile, Wu Yu-lun, a three-time world junior champion receive worth P500,000 by winning the World Junior Championships, age's 19-year-old and below.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Marlon Bernardino.
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