AFTER a magnificent performance in Verona, New York, reigning national open champion and All Japan championship winner Lee Vann "The Slayer" Corteza sets his eyes on the Guinness 9-Ball Tour Grand Championship Finals in Bali, Indonesia set on August 31 to September 2.
Corteza was champion in the Turning Stone Classic XI at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York to bag the top prize of US$8,000 in the 128 player tournament. Corteza also finished runner-up in the 2007 International Challenge of Champions US$50 thousand winner-take all last August 10-12 in Uncasville, Connecticut, USA behind eventual winner Niels "The Terminator" Feijen of the Netherlands.
He is the second Filipino to make the cut in the 10-man Guinness 9-Ball Tour of Merit, besides reigning World 9-Ball and 8-Ball champion Ronato "Volcano" Alcano.
The eight other qualifiers in the Bali finals are Chinese Taipei cue artists Yang Ching-Shun, Chang Jung-Lin, Chao Fong-Pang and former World Pool champion Wu Chia-Ching, Indonesian Ricky Yang, Mindanao-born Malaysian Ibrahim Amir, Indian Dharminder Singh Lilly and Singaporean Bernard Tey.
The 28-year-old Corteza, top player of Negros Billiard Stable planed in from New York to Manila last Thursday to spend time with his wife Gelia and son Lee Vann Jr. in Marikina City and his benefactor NBS president Jonathan Sy and NBS coach/manager Christopher Palses before he leaves for Bali on Monday.
The 34-year-old Alcano from Calamba City, Laguna on the other hand, arrived last Wednesday from his US sojourn, is scheduled to fly to Indonesia for the Guinness 9-ball tour.
Corteza and Alcano, both admitted it will be anybody's game in Bali considering that his rivals are also very good players.
The duo is praying for good breaks and consistency to pull through their matches in the Chinese-dominated qualifying round.
Corteza gained a total of 100 points that was needed to qualify for the finals after earning 50 points in his runner-up finish in the Jakarta leg, 30 points in his quarter-finals finish in Malaysia and 20 points in the final leg in Shanghai, China. Alcano finished at fourth with 160 points in the top 10 tour order of merit.
(Report from MARLON BERNARDINO)
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