Kyle Amoroto Falters as Ko Ping Chung Recovers to Win 10-8 in Hanoi Open Quarterfinal Battle
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 14 Oct 2023
The electric atmosphere at the Hanoi Open Pool Championships' Quarterfinal match between Taiwan's Ko Ping Chung and the Philippines' rising star, Kyle Amoroto, was nothing short of explosive on this fateful October 14th night at the Hanoi Indoor Games Gymnasium in Hanoi City, Vietnam.
Ko Ping Chung kicked off the battle to score the first point of the match, setting the tone for what would be a high-stakes faceoff. Amoroto roared back to life, taking the next rack to even the score at 1-1 after Ko's dry break in the second rack.
With relentless determination, Ko surged ahead, capturing the next two racks to establish a lead at 3-1. However, Amoroto, displaying his mettle, answered back, making it 2-3 and with golden break in the next rack that sent shockwaves through the crowd, evened the score again at 3-3.
The young Filipino sensation then turned the tables, stringing together consecutive wins to reach 5-3, all while the stakes grew ever higher. A critical miss by Ko on the 7th ball in the next rack allowed Amoroto to widen the lead at 6-3. The momentum was firmly in Amoroto's corner as he continued his dominant performance, cleaning up racks 9, 10, and 11 with precision and poise, now leading the match at 8-3.
But a sudden twist of fate occurred when, following a dry break, Amoroto found himself facing a tricky situation with the yellow ball. Ko seized the opportunity, executing a brilliant comeback that began to narrow the gap at 4-8 and then 5-8 after Ko takes the next rack again.
A spectacular bank shot by Amoroto on the 3-ball allowed him to be in a position to win the next rack and be on the hill but a huge costly miss on the 9-ball allowed Ko to inch even closer at 6-8. Amoroto's nerves, visible even to the untrained eye, were taking a toll on the 21-year-old phenom from the Philippines. It was an intimidating stage, and he was facing none other than the reigning US champion.
Ko seized the opportunity, cleaning up rack after rack, clawing his way back into contention at 7-8. In a final, electrifying surge, Ko captured the next rack, drawing even at 8-8. The tension in the room was palpable as both players approached the precipice. With nerves of steel, Ko Ping Chung snatched the next rack, propelling himself to the brink of victory at 9-8.
The final act was a dazzling display of skill and composure. Ko's break was a thunderous symphony as he sent the 1, 2, and 7 balls cascading into the pockets. With surgical precision, he worked his way through the remaining balls, capturing the 10th rack and, with it, the entire match.
In a climax that sent shockwaves through the audience, Ko Ping Chung emerged as the triumphant victor, and his meteoric journey through the tournament continued, leaving the spectators in awe of his extraordinary talents and unyielding spirit. Ko heads to the semifinal against Albin Ouschan who defeated David Alcaide, 10-3 in the quarterfinal match.
The other semifinalists are Sanjin Phelivanovic of Bosnia who earlier beat Michael Angelo Feliciano of the Philippines, 10-3, and Britain's Jayson Shaw who bested USA's Fedor Gorst, 10-8.
Amoroto, meanwhile, will have to learn a bitter lesson with the loss but with his age and now playing at the very top of the game, he has the whole world ahead of him.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Dong Secuya.
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