Lining yields to Chinese; Orcollo out

MANILA, Philippines - Liu Haitao of China foiled Filipino Antonio Lining’s march into the semifinals, hacking out a pulsating 9-8 squeaker in the Philippine Open Pool Championships at the SM Megatrade Hall yesterday.

Practically given up for lost after Lining got on the hill and stood a few balls away from clinching a semis seat, Haitao got a new lease on life when the veteran Filipino flubbed an easy shot on the 5-ball.

The Chinese bet quickly took advantage and won the next four racks, capping his fightback with two successive breaks and run out to steal the Last-4 berth from a stunned Lining.

Haitao joined early semifinalist Ralf Souquet of Germany, who hacked out a clinical 9-2 verdict over compatriot Thorsten Hohmann in the lower half of the winner’s bracket quarterfinals.

However, all is not lost for Lining as he still had a second chance to reach the semis via the backdoor. The 48-year-old Pinoy cuemaster was slated to play either Fuh Chei Wei of Chinese Taipei or former world 10-ball boss Darren Appleton of Britain in the loser’s bracket late last night for a ticket to the crossover semis.

Carlo Biado likewise set himself up for a shot at the next round after slamming the door on fancied countryman Dennis Orcollo, 9-7, in the one-loss side. Biado was gunning for a Last-4 seat against another big-time player in Hohmann at presstime.

“Medyo pressure din kasi si Dennis (Orcollo) ang pinakamagaling dito ngayon. Hindi ko na lang inisip kung manalo o matalo ako basta makipag-sabayan lang ako (I know Orcollo is the top Filipino player here so there was pressure playing against him. But I just tried not to think about whether I will win or lose and keep in step with him),” said Biado.

He also felt reigning world 8-ball king Orcollo’s shotmaking was not there, exemplified by his miss on the 4-ball in the 16th rack just as he was trying to force a hill-hill battle.

“Masama ang tinira niya,” offered the 27-year-old Biado.

Lining, the highest-rated competitor in the meet at world No. 2, got into a deep hole against Liu, 0-4, but managed to catch up at 4-4 and 5-5 before turning the tables in the next three racks to get on the hill.

Meanwhile, former world 9-ball titlist Liu Sha-Sha of China and compatriot Siming Chen took the semifinal berths in the winner’s bracket of the women’s division after bundling out Chou Chieh Yu of Chinese-Taipei, 9-6, and Lim Yun Mi of Korea, 9-2.