Pulpul, Banares, Manalo enter Last 16

Demosthenes Pulpul, enjoying top form and a spot in the limelight, outplayed Kazuo Furuta of Japan, 9-4, in a duel of longshots yesterday to gain a berth in the round-of-16 of the World 10-Ball Championship at the Philippine International Convention Center.

Jerico Banares also advanced later in the day as he bucked a slow start to turn back Indonesian Dodong Alwi, 9-4, gifting himself a spot in the next round on his 19th birthday.

But compatriots Leonardo Didal and Jeff de Luna bowed out of contention after absorbing contrasting setbacks in this weeklong event staking $100,000 for the first-ever world 10-ball champion.

Didal squandered a big lead and a chance to finish off fancied Yang Shing Chung of Chinese Taipei as he succumbed to pressure, blew an 8-5 lead and lost the next four racks plus the match, 8-9.

The big guns – Shane van Boening of the US, Wu Chia Ching of Chinese Taipei, Mika Immonen of Iceland and Ralf Souquet of Germany – also cruised into the next round.

The flashy de Luna took the first game with his power break but that was the best he could dish out as Fu Chei Wei came roaring back with a blitz, sweeping the next nine racks to fashion out an easy 9-1 win for a spot in the Last 16.

Marlon Manalo dominated Victor Arpilleda and coasted to a 9-2 romp to join Pulpul and Banares in the round of 16 late in the night.

But it was the 23-year-old Pulpul who continued to hog the spotlight.

After snatching a come-from-behind 9-8 win over World women’s No. 1 Jasmin Ouschan of Austria in the first round of the knockout stage Thursday, Pulpul, a native of Cagayan de Oro, played a solid game as he made short work of Furuta, who earlier shocked German Oliver Ortmann, with an array of safety shots.

“I beat him with my safety shots, he couldn’t handle it,” said Pulpul in Filipino.

The victory assured Pulpul of $4,500, way over his previous best earnings of P70,000 in a money game.

Pulpul and Yang were disputing a spot in the quarterfinal at presstime.

“I want to win this tournament so that I’ll have money to fund the education of my children because I know how important education is,” said Pulpul.

Van Boening survived a four-rack start by countryman Shaun Wilkie as he came through with three golden breaks in a row en route to a 9-5 win to set up an interesting duel with Wu, a 9-6 winner over Italian Bruno Muratore, in a clash of the favorites.

Immonen also barged into the next phase with a 9-6 win over Ko Pin Yi of Chinese Taipei while Souquet stormed past Hungarian Vilmos Foeldes, 9-4.

Immonen will take on Mark Gray of Great Britain, who stunned countryman 2007 World Pool champion Daryl Peach, 9-6, while Souquet faces Chinese Liu Haitao, who outlasted Canadian Tyler Edey, 9-6, in the Last 16 matches.