Pulpul runs out of luck, crashes out

Future star Demosthenes Pulpul ran out of luck yesterday as he rammed into former world 9-ball and 8-ball champion Wu Chia Ching of Chinese Taipei and lost, 11-8, in the semifinals of the World Ten Ball Championship.

Cheered and egged on by a big weekend crowd at the Philippine International Convention Center, Pulpul, 23, roared back from a 0-5 deficit with superb shot-making. He took a 7-5 lead on a dazzling 2-10 combination.

But a dry break on the 13th game by the Cagayan de Oro City native allowed Wu, who waylaid fellow favorites Shane van Boening of the United States, 9-3, and Mika “The Iceman” Immonen of Finland, 11-7, in succession, a chance to turn the tables around.

And that was what the 19-year-old Wu, nicknamed Taisun or Little Genius, needed to take six of the last seven racks, the match and the first finals berth.

Wu now has a chance at becoming the first winner of billiards’ version of the triple crown after winning the world 9-ball and 8-ball titles three years back.

“I’m happy to get a chance at becoming world champion not only in 9-ball and 8-ball but also in 10-ball,” said Wu, who had to practice an extra four to five hours a day after losing his cue sticks in China before his stop here, through an interpreter.

“I had my opportunities but I couldn’t capitalize on it,” said a dejected Pulpul in Filipino.

Disputing the second finals berth as of presstime were Darren Appleton of Britain and Niels Feijen of the Netherlands.

Despite the loss, Pulpul, who was never given a chance to get this far, will go back home as a hero after emerging the best Filipino finisher in this weeklong tournament that attracted some of the best pool players of the world.

He is now assured of $15,000, or a cool P705,000.

“I’ve never been so proud and never won a prize this big in my life,” he said.