32nd US open 9-ball championships: Pinoy bets on collision course

The Filipino shotmakers stayed on the winning track, but six of them are on collision course entering the fifth day of the 32nd Annual U.S. Open 9-Ball Championships at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, Virginia.

Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante coasted to their third straight victories, but will face next their fellow countrymen for a quarterfinal berths in the week-long poolfest that offers a total of US$200,000 in cash prizes.

Reyes bumped out Italy’s Alessandro Torrenti, 11-3, while Bustamante strolled past Joel Gray, 11-8.

Reyes, thus, set up a showdown with reigning world 9-ball and 8-ball champion Ronnie “Volcano” Alcano, who advanced with an 11-0 shutout of Chris Bartrum, while Bustamante tangle with Jose “Amang” Parica, who disposed off Derek Leonard, 11-5.

Cebuano Warren Kiamco and Lee Van Corteza also terminated separate foes to set up an all-Pinoy duel. Kiamco escaped with an 11-9 win over Dan Louie, while Corteza tamed Dutch terminator Neils Feijen, 11-8.

Two other Pinoys kept their unbeaten records intact in Dennis “Robocop” Orcollo and Rodolfo “Boy Samson” Luat. Orcollo slammed David Hunt, 11-9, while Luat subdued New Zealand’s Ceri Worts,  11-7.

Orcollo faces next England’sTony Crosby, who defeated Brian Parks,11-8, while Luat squares off against James Walden of the United States, who routed John Schmidt, 11-1.

Unfortunately, their comrades Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan and Edwin Montal were dumped into the loser’s bracket after fally prey to their respective rivals in Day 4.

Pagulayan, the 2004 winner of the event, bowed to American Louis Ulrich, 7-11, while Montal was vanquished by Sweden’s Marcus Chamat, 8-11.

The champion will receive US$50,000, the second US$25,000, while the third and fourth will pocket US$12,500 and US$7,500, respectively.