Filipino cue masters falter in US Open 9-ball

MANILA, Philippines – Filipino aces Carlo Biado and Warren Kiamco failed to sustain their charge and fell to separate opponents in the 40th US Open 9-ball Championship Wednesday night at Sheraton Waterside in Norfolk, Virginia.

After three straight wins, Biado absorbed a 7-11 setback to Scottish Jayson Shaw while Kiamco bowed to German stalwart Ralf Souquet, 4-11, as the two joined their fellow Phl bets in the losers’ side of the tournament.

Meanwhile, Dennis Orcollo, Roberto Gomez, Francisco Felicilda, Jeffrey Ignacio and Jundel Mazon hurdled their respective fourth-round rivals in the one-loss side to stay in the hunt.

Orcollo nipped Japanese Kenichi Uchigaki, 11-7, while Gomez defeated Canadian Martin Daigle, 11-8; Felicilda nosed out Karen Corr, 11-5; and Ignacio and Mazon hacked out identical 11-8 victories over Greeks Alex Kazakis and Nikos Ekonomopoulous, respectively.

But Ramil Gallego dropped a 5-11 loss to Canadian Jason Klatt, his second in the double-elimination format meet.

Canada’s Alex Pagulayan also bowed out after a 7-11 loss to Chinese Li He Wen.