DJANGO TRIPS APPLETON IN US OPEN 9-BALL

3 other Filpinos strike

Philippine Daily Inquirer
First Posted 01:19:00 10/24/2008


MANILA, Philippines—Francisco “Django” Bustamante humbled England’s newly crowned World 10-Ball champion Darren Appleton, 11-6, Thursday to lead three other Filipinos in the winners’ bracket of the 33rd Annual US Open 9-Ball Championship at the Chesapeake Convention Center in Chesapeake, Virginia.

With four straight victories in as many rounds like Bustamante, the 2007 US Pro Tour champion, are two-time world titlist Ronnie Alcano, Lee Vann Corteza and United States-based Jose “Amang” Parica.

The victory shoved the 44-year-old Bustamante into a fifth-round encounter with unheralded Oscar Dominguez, boosting the Filipino’s title chances in the $250,000 event topped by fellow Puyat Sports stalwarts Efren “Bata” Reyes in 1994 and Alex Pagulayan in 2005.

Also boosting their bid for the $40,000 top purse were Alcano, who bested Canadian Tyler Edey, 11-8, and Corteza, who pipped American Shannon Daulton, 11-9.

Either Alcano of the star-studded Bugsy Promotions or Corteza, star of the Negros Billiards Stable, however, is certain to slide to the one-loss side as they are paired in the fifth round.

Parica, still a force to reckon with at 62, downed Marcus Chamat of Sweden, 11-9. The leader of the Filipino players’ invasion of the US Tour in the 1980s forged a showdown with defending champion Shane Van Boening, who beat compatriot Charlie Williams, 11-6.

Other Filipinos still in contention from the losers’ bracket at presstime were Warren Kiamco, Rodolfo Luat and Ramil Gallego. They, however, need to hurdle every rival to stay alive.

Also unscathed entering the fifth round are former world champions Mika Immonen, Thorsten Hohmann and Johnny Archer, Rodney Morris, Adam Smith, Shawn Putnam, Brandon Shuff, Raj Hundal and Petri Makkonen.

Lifted without permission from Phil. Daily Inquirer (www.inquirer.net)