Amit enters Last 24 in World 9-Ball

MANILA, Philippines - Filipina Rubilen Amit cruised into the Last 24 in the 2010 Amway WPA Women’s World 9-Ball Open yesterday at the Core Pacific Living Mall Hotel in Taipei, Taiwan.

The 27-year-old from Mandaue City, Cebu finished with a 3-2 win-loss record during Group E stage match in this annual event which offers $20,000 to the champion.

Amit bested Maureen Seto of Canada (7-1) and Kynthios Orfanidis of the Netherlands in the first two matches but yielded to Yuan Chun Lin of Chinese-Taipei (5-7) in her third match.

 The former Makati City Call Center employee booked her seat in the Last 24 after she outpointed P. C. Lin of Chinese-Taipei (7-2) in her fourth match.

Amit had a chance for an automatic entry in the Last 16 if she beat eventual Group E top finisher Karen Corr of Ireland. Corr beat Amit (3-7) to tally a 4-1 record to advance to the Last 16.

Christine Caparras of Puyat Sports said the top finishers in group matches advance in the “Sweet 16” while the second and third enter the Last 24. 

 Amit, who is seeking to surpass her second runner-up finish here in the 2007 edition, will meet Xiao Fang Fu of China in the single elimination format, a race-to-7.

 The winner of Amit-Xiao tussle goes up against Kelly Fisher of the United States in the Last 16. Fisher tallied 4-1 to top the Group D.

 Amit became the country’s first women’s world champion when she stunned two-time world champion Liu Shin mei of Chinese Taipei, 10-4, in the Jbet.net World Women’s 10-Ball Championship before a huge crowd at the Block at SM North in Quezon City last June.

 The victory put Amit in an exclusive club of Filipino world billiards champions that include Efren “Bata” Reyes, who won the world 9-ball championship in 1999 and 8-ball title in 2004, Alex Pagulayan, the world 9-ball in 2004, and Ronnie Alcano, who also captured the 9-ball and 8-ball crowns in 2007.

 In other related billiards stories, veteran campaigner Elvis Calasang and Edgar Acaba Jr. advanced to the tournament proper of the March edition of Tiger Cup 10-ball tournament at the Star Billiards Center in Grace Village, Quezon City.

 At stake is P20,000 plus a universal cue case worth P3,000 for the champion, P10,000 for secpnd place, P5,000 for third and fourth and P2,000 for fifth to eighth placers.