Pinoys keep sizzling run at US Open 9-Ball event

The spirited Filipino cue masters led by Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante sustained their sizzling run after Day 3 of the 32nd Annual  U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, Virginia.

While Bustamante enjoyed an 11-5 rout of Richie Orem, Reyes had to conjure all the magic he could muster before edging out American Marc Vidal via a 11-10 cliffhanger. Bustamante will face Joel Gray in round four, while Italian Alessandro Torrenti is up next for “The Magician.”

Reyes, who topped the event in 1994, and Bustamante were joined into the next round by seven of their fellow countrymen in Dennis “Robocop” Orcollo, Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan, Jose “Amang” Parica, Lee Van “The Slayer” Corteza, Warren Kiamco, Rodolfo “Boy Samson” Luat, and Ronnie “Volcano” Alcano.

Orcollo slammed Michael Dechaine, 11-5, Pagulayan scored an 11-0 whitewash of Frank Alvarez, Parica subdued Kuwait’s Abdullah El Yousef, 11-5, while Corteza fended off Jason Klatt of the United States, 11-9.

Cebu’s pride Warren Kiamco also kept his hunt for the US$50,000 grand prize of the week-long tournament that offers a total of US$200,000 in cash prizes with an 11-4 disposition of Daniel Madden, even as Luat zoomed past Russian Ivaylo Petrov, 11-8.

Alcano, the reigning world 9-ball and 8-ball titlist, also advanced with an 11-3 demolition of Paddy McLaughlin. He will take on next Chris Bartrum.

The rest of the Pinoys’ matches pit Orcollo vs. David Hunt, Luat vs. Ceri Worts, Pagulayan vs. Louis Ulrich, Parica vs. Derek Leonard, Corteza vs. Niels Feijen, and Kiamco vs. Dan Louie.

The second placer in the world’s longest run 9-Ball tilt will take home US$25,000, while the third and fourth will receive US$12,500 and US$7,500, respectively.