Alcano, Luat stay on winners’ bracket

Ronnie Alcano and Rodolfo Luat sustained their top form and trounced Joey Testa, 11-4, and Frankie Hernandez, 11-6, respectively, to keep their win streak going after four matches in the 2006 US Open 9-ball Championship yesterday at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, Virginia, USA.

The victory by Alcano, the former AZ Billiards Rookie of the Year awardee, also avenged the third round loss of compatriot and last year’s runner-up Jose Parica in the event which drew some of the finest cue artists in the world.

Parica lost to Testa, 7-11, Thursday, sending the Filipino pool icon and last year’s runner-up into the losers’ bracket.

Out of 10 Filipino cue artists in the field, only Alcano and Luat remained on the winners’ side.

Meanwhile, Antonio Gabica and Gandy Valle fashioned out victories in contrasting fashions to remain in the hunt of the title from the losers’ bracket.

Gabica outlasted Nick Vita, 11-9, while Valle routed Evan Broxmeyer, 11-2.

Gabica and Valle will next meet Chris Bartram and former US Open champion Rodney Morris, respectively.

Lee Vann Corteza and Santos Sambajon joined Gabica and Valle on the left side of the draw after dropping their respective matches.

Corteza lost to former world pool champion Mika Immonen of Finland, 8-11, while Sambajon bowed to American Charles Altomare, 10-11.