Valle advances to Asian 9-ball final

Singapore — Gandy Valle held off a rallying Yang Ching Shun of Taipei to score an 11-8 victory and advance to the final of the San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour Finals last night at the Suntec Exhibition Hall here.

Valle was threatened only on the 15th rack when the Taiwanese bet moved to within 7-8 but the Taiwanese himself succumbed to pressure while Valle, a Southeast Asian Games gold medalist, held his own to march into the $10,000 race- to-13 championships.

It could have been another all-Filipino final, but compatriot Antonio Gabica fell short of his bid earlier, conceding a 10-12 loss to another Taiwanese, 16-year-old pool prodigy Wu Chia Ching.

Gabica, who earlier eliminated fellow countryman, Efren "Bata" Reyes, in the quarterfinals, scratched the mother ball in the final two racks, opening the door of opportunity for Wu to clean up the table on both occasions.

"It was very unfortunate. I almost had victory within my grasp,’’ said Gabica, who settled for the $3,000 (P162,000) prize after being eliminated in the race-to-11 semifinals.

Valle’s win at least averted an all-Taiwanese final.