Orcollo leads Pinoys charge in US 9-ball

MANILA, Philippines - Fancied Dennis Orcollo played true to form as he led four Filipino victors in the opening matches of the 40th US Open 9-ball Championship Sunday at Sheraton Waterside in Norfolk, Virginia.

The world No. 3 Orcollo made short work of British So Shaw, 11-3, to get his bid in the double-elimination format event featuring 128 players off on a fiery note.

Orcollo, the 2014 runner-up, will next battle Vietnamese Phan Phuong Nam, who won over American Ernesto Dominguez, 11-8.

Equally impressive was world No. 10 Carlo Biado who flaunted his top form in a one-sided 11-2 drubbing of American Glenn Ramsey. Biado will go up against American Brandon Shuff, 11-8 winner over Malta’s Tony Drago.

Roberto Gomez also made his presence felt as he dumped Finnish Jani Siekkinen, 11-9. Gomez, who placed second to Daryl Peach in the world 9-ball championship in 2007, set up a clash with three-peat champ Shane Van Boening in his next outing.

Francisco Felicilda was similarly victorious in the opener against American Stevie Moore, 11-6, and will next face the winner between compatriot Warren Kiamco and American Allen Hopkins, who have yet to see action at presstime.

The rest of the Pinoy bets – Jeffrey Ignacio, Jundel Mazon, and Ramil Gallego – suffered early losses and found themselves in a must-win situation on the losers’ side.

Ignacio fell to American Kenneth Brisbon in a hill-hill encounter, 10-11, while Mazon lost to Jeremy Sossei, 7-11; and Gallego bowed to Russian Ruslan Chinahov, 4-11.

Alex Pagulayan, the 2005 titlist who’s playing under the Canadian banner, also won his opening assignment handily, 11-5 over American Blair Levandowski.