Orcollo meets his match in Gibraltar

MANILA, Philippines — Germany’s Joshua Filler stopped the Philippines’ Dennis Orcollo on his tracks with a 7-0 whitewash in the quarterfinals of the World Pool Masters Sunday night in Gibraltar.

Filler did not give Orcollo much table time in the one-sided affair at the Europa Point Sports Complex, breaking and winning the first seven racks to advance to the semis with much to spare.

The 24-year-old Filler then rallied past former world champion Ko Pin Yi of Chinese Taipei in the Final Four, 7-3, and went on to capture the crown via a 9-6 disposal of Hong Kong’s Lo Ho Sum in the Last Dance.

It was a bitter ending for Orcollo, who had been on a rampage in his first two assignments, beating Albania’s Eklert Kaci in the Round-of-32, 7-4, and ousting 2021 winner Alexander Kazakis of Greece in the Last-16, 7-0.

The 43-year-old Surigao pride had won 14 consecutive racks prior to the fall to Filler. Champion of the same tournament in 2010, Orcollo settled for the $3,750 (around P197,000) purse for the quarterfinalists.

Orcollo was the lone Pinoy participant in the annual 9-ball tournament with the other top guns set to carry the country’s colors in the Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam.

Without Orcollo, the men’s 10-ball gold medalist in the 2019 SEAG in Manila, reigning US Open champion Carlo Biado and Johann Chua banner Team Philippines in Vietnam.

Biado and Chua vie in the men’s 9-ball and 10-ball events while 2019 double gold winner Chezka Centeno and 9-ball singles defending champion Rubilen Amit compete in the distaff side.

Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco dela Cruz play for honors in the men’s one-cushion and three-cushion as Alvin Barbero and Jeffrey Roda carry the fight in the men’s snooker events.