CORTEZA WINS SMB OKTOBERFEST 9-BALL OPEN: POCKETS P350,000

FORMER National Open champion Lee Vann "The Slayer" Corteza ruled the 2011 San Miguel Beer Oktoberfest Festival 9-ball Open Masters category at the Resorts World Manila in Pasay City, late Sunday.

The top player of Negros Billiards Stable and JSY Sports, Corteza defeated world no.1 and world 8-ball champion Dennis "Robocop" Orcollo, 11-8, in the finals to bag the top prize of P350,000 plus SMB mug trophy. The former two-time SMB 9-ball open champion Orcollo settled P100,000.

Corteza, whose stint here backed up by Energen and Kopiko made the finals by beating ex-world pool champion Francisco "Django" Bustamante, 9-4,  in the semifinals while Orcollo advanced by edging hall of famer Efren "Bata" Reyes, 9-8.

“I would like to thank Sir Jonathan Sy and coach Christopher Palses for always helping me in my local and international tournaments alongside Kopiko and Energen,” said the Davao City native Corteza, whose next tournament is the Japan Open on November 16 in Osaka. 

Earlier, Corteza, playing under the banner of sportsman/businessman Jonathan "Bacolod" Sy, nipped former WPA 9-ball and 8-ball champion Ronato "Volcano" Alcano, 9-5, in the round-of-16, and 2006 SydneyWorld Junior quarter-finalists Renemar "Revo" David, 9-7, in the round-of-8, while Orcollo ousted Ramil "Bebeng" Gallego, 9-1, and Jundel "Jano" Mazon, 9-6, respectively.

In the race-to-11, alternate break finals, the former fisherman from Bislig, Surigao del Sur Orcollo jumped to a big 3-1 lead before Corteza tied the score at 3-all in the 6th racks after winning two straight racks. The two Filipino hottest player today tied the match at 4-all count after exchanging racks. Corteza won two consecutive racks for a 6-4 lead. Actually, Orcollo had a chance to tied the match at 5-all count in the 10th racks but failed to sank no.8 ball. From there, Corteza never looked back. He won five of the next nine racks for the runaway victory.

"Turning point ko yung pagsablay ni Dennis sa medyo delikadong shot sa 8-ball sa 10th racks kaya nakalamang ako ng dalawang racks." said Corteza, a many-time Southeast Asian Games gold medallist.

NBS president Jonathan Sy lauded Corteza’s latest feat. " I’m really happy for him. Hope next year mag world champion na si Lee Vann" he added.

Meanwhile, Jomel "Porkchop" Sultan defeated fellow NBS stalwart Ruben Cuna, 9-8, in the grand finals of winner take all Open regional category to enroute P50,000 plus SMB mug trophy.

The San Miguel Beer Oktoberfest Festival 9-ball Open Masters category also participated by country's women top player Rubilen "Bingkay" Amit, Rodolfo "Boy Samson" Luat, Ricky" Bai" Zerna, Warren "Warrior" Kiamco, Gandy Valle among others in the Puyat Sports organized event backed up by San Miguel Beer, Negros Billiards Stable, Bugsy Promotions and Resorts World Manila.The matches aired live streaming onwww.sanmiguelbeer.com.ph.  Tournament director is Ish Caparras of Puyat Sports.-MARLON BERNARDINO-

FILIPINO MAZON FINISHES 2ND IN CHINA 9-BALL MEET; POCKETS $8,000

FILIPINO Jundel "Janno" Mazon made some of his trademark shots but settled only for a runner-up finish behind former World Pool Champion Chao Fong Pao at the conclusion of the 2011 China 9-Ball Invitational Championships at the Best Bet Maccaline Plaza in Hefei City, Anhui Province in Eastern China, over the weekend.

Mazon whose stint here is backed up by Energen and Kopiko found Chao too hot to handle as the hometown bet came through with tough shots of his own after winning the lag on the way to posting a 11-8 win that earned him the $16,000 winner’s prize.

"Ang hirap ng naghahabol kasi naka una agad siya (Chao Fong Pao)," said Mazon, one of the top player of Jonathan Sy's Negros Billiards Stable to his coach Christopher "Toper" Palses.

"Bawi na lamang next time," added Mazon, who settled runner-up prize of $8,000.

According to NBS head coach Christopher "Toper" Palses, Chao immediately took a 4-1, 9-4 to 10-8 lead against Mazon."Naka dikit pa sa 10-8 si Janno (Jundel Mazon) kaso naubos ni Chao (Fong Pao) ang lahat ng bola sa pagsargo sa 19th racks," said Palses.

However, Mazon, a former Guinness World Series of Pool Champion bounced back winning four of the five racks to cut the lead at 10-8 count before Chao finished the game in the 19th racks.

Despite the loss, Mazon remained the best Filipino finisher in the said event. Among his victim were Chan Du Long of China, 9-3, in the Last 32, Gou Hua of China, 9-5, in the Last 16, Yang Chin-shun of Chinese-Taipei, 11-9, in the Last 8 and countryman Lee Vann "The Slayer" Corteza, 11-10, in the Last 4.

Aside from Mazon and Corteza, other Filipino cue masters seeing in action were hall of famer Efren "Bata" Reyes, Warren "Warrior" Kiamco, Antonio "Nickoy" Lining and Panfilo "Lintok" Damuag.MARLON BERNARDINO

FILIPINO MAZON ENTERS FINALS OF CHINA 9-BALL INVITATIONAL; 'BATA' FALTERS

FORMER Guinness World Series of Pool Champion Jundel "Janno" Mazon of the Philippines gained a spot in the finals Saturday of the 2011 China 9-Ball Invitational Championships with a heart-stopping 11-10 victory over compatriot Lee Vann "The Slayer" Corteza.

The Davao City bet Corteza was so confident at the start of the match that he immediately took a 6-4 lead against fellow Negros Billiards Stable (NBS) bet Mazon
in the match being held at the Best Bet Maccaline Plaza in Hefei City, Anhui Province in Eastern China.

But the table turned against Corteza as Mazon won 11th and 12th racks for posted a 2-0 rally to tied the match at 6-all count. Corteza, however, made a comeback winning two of the three racks to seized a 8-7 lead in the race-to-eleven, alternate break format.Mazon won the 16th racks to level 8-all count.

After trading racks, Corteza and Mazon, both stint here are backed up by Energen and Kopiko, tied the match again at 10-all count in the 20th racks.

In the 21st racks, Corteza, a former World Ten Ball finalist and BSCP National Pool Champion played safety in the blue 2 ball but Mazon managed to sink the blue 2 ball and clean up the table to escaped a narrow 11-10 victory over his NBS team mate.

"It was just all luck. I hope that this luck will still follow me in my finals match against Chao Fong Pao." said Mazon to his manager, sportsman/businessman Jonathan "Bacolod" Sy of the star-studded Negros Billiards Stable (NBS).

"We  hope that Janno (Jundel Mazon) can maintain his momentum against Chao Fong Pao in the finals," said sportsman/businessman Jonathan "Bacolod" Sy of the star-studded Negros Billiards Stable (NBS).

Mazon will face Chao Fong Pao, a former World 9-ball champion from Chinese-Taipei but migrated in China for the championship crown and the top prize of $16,000. Chao prevent a possible an all-Filiipino finals when he outclassed his nemesis Filipino pool legend Efren "Bata" Reyes, 11-16, in another semi-final match-up.

Mazon and Chao, both assured at least $8,000 for reaching the finals. Losing Semi-Finalists Corteza and Reyes, on the other hand didn't go empty-handed, as both will be receiving $4,000 each. MARLON BERNARDINO

ORCOLLO BEATS CUARTERO; GAIN SEMIS BERTHS IN BSCP NATIONAL OPEN 9-BALL

CURRENT World no.1 and World 8-ball champion Dennis Orcollo got the better of Allan Cuartero  to storm into the semifinals with a 9-5 victory on Friday in the 9-ball competition of the BSCP National Pool Championship at the Star Billiards Center in Grace Village, Quezon City.

The win gave the man known as “The Robocop” one of the two outright seats in the Final Four of the event,  that serves as a qualifying event for the AKTV World Pool Summit in November.


“Slowly but surely, I’m beginning to get my game going,” said Orcollo, top player of sportsman/businessman Ceferino "Perry" Mariano of Bugsy Promotions.

"Sana mahawakan ni Dennis y'ung momentum. Ito na lamang kasi ang kulang kay Dennis na manalo ng National Open," said Bugsy Promotions honcho Ceferino "Perry" Mariano.


Orcollo started to break the game wide open beginning the 10th rack when he won three consecutive racks en route to posting an 8-4 lead.


Although Cuartero managed to salvage a game in the 13th, there was no denying the hottest player in the international circuit as he went back to the table in the 14th and disposed off the remaining balls one by one to complete the win – and hand Cuartero his first loss in nine matches  stretching back to the 8-Ball event that started Monday.


Cuartero, who is already assured of a finals berth in the 8-Ball event, fell into the loser’s bracket and will await the winner of the Leonardo "Dodong" Andam-Carlo "Cool" Biado match.


While Orcollo was beginning to make his presence felt in the 9-Ball event, Jerico Banares was sizzling on all fronts, winning his first five games capped by a near perfect performance against Roberto "Pinoy Superman" Gomez.


Banares, the former Philippine  junior champion, nearly swept Gomez, the former world pool runner-up, 9-1.


The youthful cue artists from Antipolo City also had a near flawless performance on Thursday night when he subdued Jeff de Luna, 9-1.  In beating Gomez, Banares joined Orcollo as the only players to advance to the Final Four so far.


Renemar "Revo" David, another rising pool star, and Rodrigo "Edgie" Geronimo pulled off contrasting victories in the loser’s bracket  to keep their flickering hopes alive for the other two semis berths.


David whipped veteran  Rene Cruz, 9-6, while Geronimo edged Arvi Tanega in a hill-hill encounter, 9-8.  MARLON BERNARDINO