ALCANO'S TEAM OUSTED IN SMB SCOTCH DOUBLES 10-BALL

THE PAIR of Benje Guevarra and Eduardo Lim made the biggest upset yesterday at the start of the 32 man-team country's first-ever San Miguel Corporation (SMC) Scotch Doubles 10-balls at the Elbowroom in Metro Walk, Pasig City

Guevarra, third placer in the 1999 Bangkok Asian Snooker Championship teaming up with Lim ousted the tandem of current WPA 9-ball Champion and WPA 8-ball Champion Ronato Alcano and Alex Lumpay (9-5), in this race-to-9, winners break format, single knock-out system where the winning pair will take home the top prize of P140,000. This tournament is supported by San Miguel Corporation.

The runner-up here P80,000 while the losing semi-finalist pair will each receive P40,000.

"Dikitan 'yung laban sa una at sa bandang huli lamang kami (Eduardo Lim) nakalamang," Guevarra referring the 8-5 lead who will banner the country's Snooker event in the 2007 Thailand Southeast Asian Games this December.

Guevarra and Lim will meet the survivor of Roberto Dy and Jech Jech Limen tussle against Joven Bustamante and Roberto Chung who are still playing as of presstime.

Also advancing in the second round were the team-up of Ramil Gallego and Julie "Falcon" Guevarra, Gandy Valle and Jay Jay Millares, and Godofredo Ducanes and Ernesto Sarmiento.


The duo's of Gallego and Guevarra crushed the pair of 2007 Billiards Congress of America (BCA) Enjoypool.com ruler Dennis Orcollo and Troy Danao (9-8) as well Valle and Millares nipped Ricky Zerna and Jun Talosig (9-6) and Ducanes and Sarmiento waylaid James Al Ortega and Jomel Sultan (9-5).

Actually, the game was tied at 8-all when Orcollo, the 28-year-old former fisherman in Bislig, Surigao del Sur failed to sink the No.6 ball in the last rack allowing the team of Gallego and Guevarra to clean up the table.

"Nag mintis si Dennis (Orcollo) sa No.6 ball at bumuka 'yung No.10 ball kaya naubos nina Bebeng (Gallego) at Falcon (Guevarra) ang bola," said rising Negros Billiard Stable (NBS) ace Danao, who is referring to his team mate Orcollo of Bugsy.

The three-day event was well attended and a total of 32 teams participated in the likes of 2004 World 9-Ball Champion Alex Pagulayan, Japan Open champion Antonio "Nickoy" Lining, and Antonio Gabica, who is fresh from winning the 4th annual SMB RP 9-Ball Open last Sunday at the Silvercitymall in Pasig.

(Report from MARLON BERNARDINO)