Bustamante, the 1998 champion picked as the top favorite to win this year’s edition of the event, struggled off the break in the early going, bouncing back from a 1-3 deficit to win the next six racks and the match.
"It’s good to get the first match out of the way. The short race can be difficult so it was a relief that my break started to really work well as the match progressed," said the Germany-based Bustamante, who with compatriot Efren "Bata" Reyes are among the world’s top 16 players competing in the event, including three-time women’s world pool champion Allision Fisher of England.