RP TEAM TO U.S. OPEN 9-BALL TOURNAMENT

REYES, BUSTAMANTE LEAD RP CHARGE IN US OPEN 9-BALL TOMORROW

THE deadly duo of Efren "Bata" Reyes and Francisco "Django" Bustamante will be joined by Alex Pagulayan, Ronato Alcano, Dennis Orcollo, Warren Kiamco and Lee Vann Corteza to lead the Philippine charge at the start of the longest running and presitigious 32nd Annual US Open 9-Ball gets underway tomorrow.

The venue will be the beautiful Chesapeake Conference Center, in Chesapeake Virginia starting tomorrow, Oct. 14 and will end on Oct.20 with the winner taking home the whopping top prize money of US$50,000 while the second and third placers gets US$25,000, and US$12,500, respectively.

Reyes, Bustamante and Pagulayan, playing under the banner of Puyat Sports stable will show their stuff in the event which features some of the world's best that includes former world 9-ball champion Earl Strickland, Johnny Archer, Nick Varner of the United States, Ralf Souquet, Thorsten Hohmann and Oliver Ortman of Germany, Mika Immonen of Finland.

Also participating is defending champion John Schmidt, ex-US Open titlist Corey Deuel and Gabe Owen and rising star Shane Van Boening of the host country.

"Isa't-isa ang US Open 9-Ball kasi napakaraming entry, pero malaki chance natin na manalo kasi malalim ang bench natin," said Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP) president Ernesto Fajardo yesterday.

Alcano, the 34-year-old current WPA 9-Ball Champion and WPA 8-Ball Champion said in an exclusive interview last Thursday, "May chance tayong manalo kaso malaking factor talaga 'yung luck, 9-ball yan eh." Alcano said.

Other Filipino seeing action in the US Open 9-Ball are last year's runner-up Rodolfo "Boy Samson" Luat, Ramil Gallego, Jose "Amang" Parica, Edwin Montal, and Santos Sambajon.

After the US Open 9-Ball, the Filipino pool sharks return to the Philippines to compete in the P2 million first ever Manny Pacquiao International 9-Ball Open from October 24 to 27 at the Hobbies of Asia Bldg. in Macapagal Avenue and SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City prior to the 2007 World Pool Championships on November 3 to 11 at the Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City.

(Report from MARLON BERNARDINO)