FILIPINO GUARANTEED SPOT IN WORLD POOL CHAMPIONSHIP FINALS
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 05 Jul 2010
Bustamante (L) and Lining.
With pool legend Francisco ?Django? Bustamante facing a veteran of the Japan circuit Antonio ?Nikoy? Lining in one of two semi finals of the World Pool Championships in Doha, Qatar, a Filipino is guaranteed a spot in the finals much later today.
In the other half of the semi finals American veteran Johnny Archer takes on Chinese-Taipei?s Kuo Po Chen.
Bustamante has had a run of remarkable success in the major tournaments in pool but has never won the world?s premier 9-ball event losing in the finals to Earl ?The Pearl? Strickland in Cardiff in 2002 when his little daughter passed away while he was in the final stages of the tournament.
Encouraged by pool?s foremost patron Aristeo ?Putch? Puyat and bosom buddy Efren ?Bata? Reyes, the 1999 winner, to stay and play, Bustamante was leading Strickland in the finals 15 to 13 but collapsed down the stretch enabling the feisty American to win 17-15. It was a double heartbreak for Bustamante.
The match was a thriller with Bustamante leading most of the way with neither player able to string racks together with any sort of momentum.
With the venue packed to the rafters Matchroom Sport reported that the balls often ran awkwardly after the break and there were an incredible four scratches and one jump off the table during the match.
In what was described as a cagey battle instead of an explosive game, the exemplary safety play of Strickland who escaped from Bustamante?s own safeties with some remarkable kick shots pulled him through.
Strickland grabbed the initiative when he was behind 13-15 and looked in deep trouble. But Bustamante scratched on the break as Matchroom Sport said the pool gods frowned on him and that gave Strickland the chance he had been praying for and Bustamante never won another rack.
The final two racks saw Strickland complete very difficult runouts and when the final 9-ball dropped Strickland jumped onto the table pumping his fists while Bustamante buried his head in his hands as tragedy had struck twice in the span of a week.
Perhaps this time around the pool gods will be kind to one of the greatest players of all-time and one of the nicest gentlemen who ever played the game.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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