Django, Bata struggle past foes in 9-Ball

MANILA, Philippines - Francisco “Django” Bustamante and Efren “Bata” Reyes scrambled past their respective rivals in shaky starts by the top Filipino bets in the World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA) World 9-Ball Championship in Doha, Qatar Saturday.

Bustamante opened his title-retention bid with a scary 9-7 win over compatriot Caneda Villamor in Group D action while Reyes, the former world 9-ball and 8-ball champion, rallied from behind to edge Mark Gray of Great Britain, 9-8, in Group A.

Bustamante actually looked headed for a rout after winning five of the first seven racks but Villamor bounced back to threaten at 5-6 in the race-to-9, alternate break format event featuring the world’s leading and rising stars.

They held fort in their respective turns on the break with Bustamante holding on to a 8-7 in a duel of safeties in the 15th rack.

Bustamante then hit a full table kick on No. 6, which collided with No. 9 that rolled into the side pocket for the victory. It appeared to be a lucky shot but Bustamante said he saw the possibility and went for it.

“I tried to make that 9-ball,” said Bustamante.

Reyes, on the other hand, stared at defeat as Gray raced to a 6-2 lead. But the Filipino icon regained his bearing and took five of the next six racks to draw level at 7 then won the next frame on a break-and-run to reach the hill.

But Gray pounced on his rival’s poor safety shot to force a hill-hill game but Reyes scored another break-and-run to clinch the rack and the win.

“I played OK,” Reyes said. “But I didn’t make a ball on the break twice.”

Bustamante and Reyes thus need one more win to formalize their stint in the knockout stage among the top 64 players.

In other results, Dennis Orcollo, the reigning World 8-Ball titlist, beat Andrew Kong of Hong Kong,9-4, in Group A, while Carlo Biado crushed Petri Makkonen of Finland, 9-5, in Group D.