RONNIE BEATS RICKY IN GUINNESS 9-BALL GRAND FINALE
MANILA, PHILIPPINES---CURRENT WPA 9-ball and WPA 8-ball champion Ronato Alcano needed just 1 hour and 49 minutes to down Rick Yang of Indonesia (9-7) at the start of 2007 Guinness 9-Ball Tour Grand Final Leg late Friday at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Bali, Indonesia
The 34-year-old Alcano had a scary moment last night after Yang rallied in the end game.
In fact Ricky had a chance to reach the hill in the 15th frame but suffered his fifth unforced error in the break after his mother ball scratched.
"Sa tingin ko 'yung pinaka turning point nungg nag scratch si Ricky (Yang) sa 15th rack. Dahil doon ako naka 8-7 tapos ako pa ang magbi break sa 16 th rack" said Alcano after the match last night.
The Philippine No.1 Rotation player was hot in the start of the game despite Ricky’s win in the opening lag, Ronnie raced to a 4-0 lead.
Ricky, the reigning Indonesian national champion (Persatuan Olahraga Billiard Seluruh Indonesia) closed in at 4-2 winning two consecutive racks.
Both players traded safety shots as Alcano took control of the game in the 9th rack with a 6-3 lead before Ricky tied the game at 6-all then 7-all.
Another ex-world 9-ball champion Wu Chia-ching of Taiwan edged compatriot Yang Ching-shun (9-8) to join Alcano in the winning column in Group A with a 1-0 apiece record. Indian hopeful Dharminder Lily completed the five-man cast in Group A
Both Alcano and Wu are gunning for their second straight win late Friday facing Yang Ching-shun and Dharminder, respectively. Alcano's last two round assignments are Wu and Dharminder today, Saturday at 2:00 pm and 5:00 pm respectively.
In the other side of the draw, another Filipino entry Lee Vann Corteza will open his bid against Singaporean Bernard Tey Choon kiat and Chao-fong pao.
The last two remaining opponents of Corteza in Group B were Taiwanese Chang Jung-lin and Filipino-Malaysian Ibrahim Bin Amir, today, Saturday at 3:30 and 6:30 pm.
The format calls they will play a single round robin for the race-to-nine alternate-break group stage where the top two players in each group will advance to the race-to-11 knockout semi-finals. The semis winners will play for the title and the US $36,000 championship prize.
A player must win by a margin of at least two racks (within a maximum of 13 games) in the semis and finals matches of the three-day $70,000 Grand Final. In case of a tie in the group stage, order will be determined by the number of racks won, then by number of rack lost and finally a lucky draw.
The Guinness Top 10 will qualify in the 2007 WPA World 9-Ball Championship in Manila on November 3 to 11.
The Guinness 9Ball Tour is sanctioned by the Asian Pocket Billiard Union (APBU) and organized by ESPN Star Sports' Event Management Group (EMG) in close cooperation with Persatuan Olahraga Billiard Seluruh Indonesia (POBSI).
ALCANO, CORTEZA VYING GUINNESS 9-BALL TOUR GRAND FINALE TODAY
CURRENT double world champion Ronato "Volcano" Alcano and reigning national champion and All Japan ruler Lee Vann "Slayer" Corteza are definitely ready for war when the 2007 Guinness 9-Ball Tour Grand Final blasts today, Friday at the the Grand Hyatt Hotel in Bali, Indonesia featuring the Tour's top 10 players after five legs, including order of merit elimination top notcher Yang Ching-Chun and Chang Jung-lin of Taiwan.
The 28-year-old Corteza, top player of Negros Billiard Stable (NBS) who hails from Mintal, Davao City, and his wife Gelia planed in to Bali, Indonesia Wednesday night for the three-day championship which ends Sunday according to NBS coach/ manager Christopher Palses.
"I hope Van-Van (Corteza) and Ronnie (Alcano) will play very well for the country's glory" said NBS coach/ manaher Christopher Palses.
The 34-year-old lanky cue artist Alcano on the other hand, was already in Indonesia since last week to shoot for a Guinness commercial along with Bugsy stablemate Elmer "Buddy" Kalaquian.
Corteza, arrived in the country last week after winning the Turning Stone Classic in Verona, New York where he bagged the US$8,000 top purse. He also settled runner-up place in the 2007 International Challenge of Champion US$50,000 winner-take all at the Mohegan Sun's Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut. Corteza the only Filipino player manage to reach the finals in the inaugural Guinness Jakarta Tour leg.
Alcano, meanwhile is responsible for Corteza's trip to the Grand Final when the Philippine rotation No.1 player booted out his semifinal opponent in the fifth leg just a couple of weeks ago.
Corteza the other top nine players, who qualified after earning the most number of points in the past five legs held in Jakarta, Chinese Taipei, Malaysia, Singapore and Shanghai, China, will be divided into two groups of five.
Yang, Chang Jung-Lin, Chao and former World Pool champion Wu-Chia Ching, Indonesia's Ricky Yang, Malaysia's Ibrahim Amir, India's Dharminder Singh Lilly and Singapore's Bernard Tey complete the cast of the Guinness finalists.
They will play a single round robin for the race-to-nine alternate-break group stage where the top two players in each group will advance to the race-to-11 knockout semi-finals. The semis winners will play in the title and the US $36,000 championship prize.
ESPN Star Sports will air live telecast of the tournament starting 5:00 p.m. Friday, Hong Kong time.
The Guinness 9Ball Tour is sanctioned by the Asian Pocket Billiard Union (APBU) and organized by ESPN Star Sports' Event Management Group (EMG) in close cooperation with Persatuan Olahraga Billiar Seluruh Indonesia (POBSI).
(Report from MARLON BERNARDINO)
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