Pinoy pool aces cruise to KO stage

MANILA, Philippines - Team Philippines, composed of Efren “Bata” Reyes, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Dennis Orcollo and Rubilen Amit, rolled past unfancied Estonia, 5-1, to advance to the knockout stage of the World Pool Team Championship in China yesterday.

The Filipinos hardly worked out a sweat in disposing of the Estonians in 8-ball, 9-ball and 10-ball matches, scoring a follow-up to their 4-2 rout of the Indonesians in Monday’s opener of the $300,000 event.

With six points in Group A, Team Phl assured itself of a spot in the final 16 with Reyes and company closing out their elims stint against the Croatians late yesterday.

The single elimination round of 16 starts today.

Also making it to the tournament proper are the event’s fancied teams, including Great Britain and South Korea (Group E), China 1 (Group B) and China 2 (Group C) and Japan (Group D) with Germany also poised to join Chinese Taipei as the top Group F qualifiers.

In each match between two countries, the teams play each other in a set of six matches, all alternate break – two races in 8-ball, two in 9-ball and two in 10-ball. One 8-ball match is men’s scotch doubles, race to 6. The other 8-ball match is a men’s singles, race to 6.

In 9-ball, the teams compete in a women’s singles, race to 8, and a men’s singles race to 8. In 10-ball, the teams play one mixed doubles match (scotch doubles), race to 7, and one men’s singles match race to 7. The female player must play in the 10-ball mixed doubles match, and a 9-ball match. No player is permitted to play more than two matches per session.

Reyes, Bustamante and Orcollo are out to atone for their early exit in last week’s World 9-ball Championship with Antonio Gabica emerging the top Filipino placer with a quarterfinal finish. Orcollo reached the third round while Reyes bowed out earlier after blowing a two-rack lead with three left.