Orcullo leads Phl bets' 1st day surge

MANILA, Philippines - Fancied Filipino world 8-ball champion Dennis Orcullo flirted with disaster before prevailing over an upset-conscious compatriot Demostenes Pulpul, 9-7, to lead the opening day winners of the Philippine Open Pool Championships last night at the SM Megamall Megatrade Hall.

Nearly given up for dead after trailing 1-6 and 3-7, world No. 3 Orcullo pounced on the opportunity when Pulpul miscalculated a safety shot on the 11th rack, cleaning up the next four sets and making the big shots down the line to escape with the win.

Not as lucky was 2009 world 10-ball titlist Mika Immonen of Finland, who suffered a 6-9 reversal to Japanese Lo Li-Wen and went to the one-loss side of the meet.

Earlier, former double-world champion Ronnie Alcano stamped his class on Singapore’s Desmond Go Chin Teck, 9-4, as seven other Filipinos hurdled their first day assignments.

Alcano, owner of world titles in 9-ball (2006) and 8-ball (2007) but without a major diadem to show in 10-ball, showcased his topnotch shotmaking against the Singaporean to storm to a 7-3 lead and pull off the easy win.

“I got off to a good start against Teck,” said Alcano, who’s hoping to finally break into the 10-ball elite after nailing his first triumph in the game at the 2010 Star Billiards 10-ball Championships in Filipino.

Joining Alcano in the winner’s bracket were Antonio Lining, Marlon Manalo, Lee Van Corteza, Jundel Mazon, Jericho Banares, Oliver Medenilla and Renemar David.

Lining, the 2002 Asian Games gold medalist and the highest ranked player in the $175,000 tournament at world No. 2, survived the “delaying tactics” of Australian Robbie Foldvari in a 9-7 verdict.

“My opponent was deliberately maximizing the 40-second shotclock per rack and that somehow affected my rhythm and focus in the match,” said the 48-year-old Lining in Filipino.

Manalo pounced on a miscue by Bobby Lee Chenman of Hong Kong to overhaul a 6-8 deficit and prevail in a hill-hill battle, 9-8, while fellow veteran internationalist Corteza cruised past Yu Lung Chang of Taipei, 9-5.

Medenilla, fifth placer in the 2010 world 9-ball championship, scored a 9-6 triumph over Md Alis Bin Hj Rashid of Brunei as former junior standout David trounced Mohanna Obaidly of Qatar, 9-6. Banares and Mazon landed spots in the winners’ side with victories over compatriots Raymond Faraon (9-2) and Venancio Tanio (9-1), respectively.

Ramil Gallego also found himself in the one-loss side after bowing to Nguyen Phuc Long of Vietnam, 7-9.