2 RP bets enter semis

JAKARTA – Dennis Orcollo and Alex Pagulayan of the Philippines booked seats in the semifinals after they finished in the top two of Group A in the preliminary round of the Guinness 9 Ball Tour 2008 Grand Final yesterday at the Mal Tarman Anggrek here.

A third Filipino in Antonio Gabica fell short in his bid in Group B as he ran out of steam and lost his last two games.

Orcollo and Pagulayan chalked up similar 3-1 win-loss records in their group to clinch spots in the Final Four guaranteeing themselves of at least $5,400 each in this grand finale offering a total cash purse of $72,000.

Orcollo, who won the previous leg in Guangzhou, China, swept his first three assignments before losing what’s already a non-bearing match with Chinese Taipei’s Chang Jung Lin, 7-9, yesterday.

He started with a 9-7 conquest of Pagulayan then followed it up with triumphs over Taiwanese Wang Hung Hsiang, 9-8, and Korean Ryu Seung Woo, 9-5.

Pagulayan, who ruled the Singapore leg, bounced back from his setback against Orcollo with a relatively easy 9-5 victory over Chang late Friday night. The 2004 World Pool champion barged into the semis after edging Wang, 9-8, and routing Ryu, 9-2.

Gabica outclassed fellow Filipino Joven Bustamante, 9-5, on Friday then beat Malaysia’s Ibrahim Amir, 9-5, and survived Chinese Taipei’s Wu Chia Ching, 9-7, before losing his last two matches to hometown bet Ricky Yang and Yang Ching Shun of Chinese Taipei last night.