ANTONIO "GAGA"GABICA, the country's most underrated pool player today defeated pool legend Efren "Bata" Reyes (13-10), to book the first finals seat in the 4th annual San Miguel Beer (SMB) Philippine Open 9-ball Championship.
The 35-year-old Gabica, member of Bugsy Promotion won the opening lag and surged to a 4-2 lead to take the fight out of Reyes.
"Suwerte lamang kasi bagama't may mga error tayo ay may error din si Ninong (Efren Reyes)" said the 2004 inauguration champ Gabica after the match referring to Reyes,God Father in his wedding to his wife Jean Gabica.
Perry Mariano, local pool benefactor lauded Gabica's impressive showing to top the seeded Reyes. "Ga-Ga (Gabica) is the most underrated player today."
Gabica, the 2007 Cebu 9-ball Challenge runner-up who bagged the 9-ball gold and 8-ball silver medals in the last year's ASIAD in Doha will face the winner of the match between two-time defending champion Francisco "Django" Bustamante and current double world champion Ronato "Volcano" Alcano who are still playing as of press time.
After the game was tied at 6 all, Gabica clustered three consecutive racks to take a 9-6 commanding lead after Reyes missed a tough 8-ball shot in the 15th racks.
Reyes cut the lead at 9-7 after a run-out in the 16th rack but Gabica scored two of the three racks for his fifth break and run to move a comfortable 10-8 lead.
In the 21st rack, Reyes made a 1-7 combo that sank the yellow no.1 ball but suffered another scratch in the blue no.2 ball that lead Gabica on the hill (12-9).
Reyes, the acknowledge "The Magician" in pool world won the 22nd racks to close the match at 12-10, however, Reyes missed another tough 9-ball shot in the 23rd rack to give Gabica a 13-10 victory.
Gabica assured already a Php250,000 for reaching the finals while Reyes had to settle for Php100,000 - guaranteed to each losing semi-finalists.
Gabica's road to the race-to-15, alternate break finals schedule late Sunday came from wins over 2006 SMB Asian 9-ball tour leg winner Gandy "Sapsal" Valle (9-7), Alcano (9-3), 2007 BCA Enjoypool.com 9-ball champion Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo (9-8), before losing to Bustamante (9-7) in the fourth match of winner's brackets on Saturday. He then beat Carlo "Cool" Biado (9-6) in the loser's brackets to advance in the cross-over semi-final round where he beat Reyes.
Alcano, on the other hand beat Damuag (9-6) to gain the last semi-final berth on Saturday in the one-loss column.
Meanwhile, it was a heart breaking loss to the unbeaten Reyes, who earlier beat Eduardo "Pikoy" Villanueva (9-2), Biado (9-5), 2007 US Bar Table 9-ball and 8-ball champion Warren "Warrior" Kiamco (9-7), giant killer Panfilo "Abu Lintok" Damuag (9-6), before suffering his only loss to Gabica but was ousted in this event using the single knock-out system in the cross-over semis.
Aside from Reyes, Bustamante is also the other undefeated player in this 32-man field before the semi-final round yesterday. His wins came from over Danny Otacan (9-1), Rene "Bata" Cruz (9-6), Jundel "Jano" Mazon (9-6), before downing Gabica from Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu.
Aside from Reyes, other big guns was out in the title race were Kiamco, Orcollo, 2004 Taiwan World 9-ball champion Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan, 2005 Taiwan World 9-ball third placer Marlon "Marvelous" Manalo, reigning national open champion and all Japan ruler Lee Vann "The Slayer" Corteza and last year's runner-up Leonardo "Dodong" Didal, who tasted their second straight loss on Saturday.
(Report from MARLON BERNARDINO)
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