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Reno, Nevada - Reigning national junior champion Jerico Banares, current national women's champion Zemonette Oryan and 14-year-old Jonas Magpantay got off to rousing starts in the 2008 World Junior Pool Championships at the Sands Regency Hotel in Reno, Nevada.
The 19-year-old Banares, who stunned former world champion Thorsten Hohmann of Germany twice this year, subdued stubborn Russian Roman Pruchai, 9-7, to pace the boys’ 19-and-under event which attracted 33 players from four continents.
With no clear pocket waiting the brown seven on the 16th, Banares wisely played it safe. The ploy paid off as Pruchai's counter-safety proved anything but safe.
Banares raced to a quick 5-2 lead and breaking, but Pruchai slowly inched closer and eventually grabbed the lead on the 13th rack, 7-6.
Fortunately for Banares, his break on the 14th netted him two balls and his run out knotted the count at 7-all.
An hour later, Banares blasted Nick Pera of New Zealand, 9-5. Pera downed Alyysius Yapp of Singapore, 9-6, in the opener.
Magpantay sizzles
Magpantay was just as outstanding when he scored a stunning 9-8 victory over Austin Murphy, the 2008 US Junior champion.
The BCA, also the organizing group of the tournament, expressed happiness over the country’s decision to compete saying “Filipinos make the field deeper.”
And justly Magpantay proved it.
“Suwerte lang po dahil kinalaban siya ng bola sa last rack,” Magpantay said, referring to the critical preparation miscue of the American with three balls left in the hill-hill affair.
The untested but supremely confident boy from Bansud, Oriental Mindoro, was the first to reach the hill despite trailing for most of the match. But an empty break on the 16th let Murphy back on the table and in the contest.
Murphy appeared to be on his way to victory after pocketing a tough shot on the green six. But the cue ball did not cooperate, hiding behind the black eight and leaving Murphy no choice but to play a risky cushion shot.
He fouled up and Magpantay gamely cleaned up the mess.
The 14-year-old Magpantay would next meet Chieh An-ching of Chinese Taipei, a 9-6 winner Greg Quinn of Canada.
Oryan, the 19-year-old Iloilo ace made it a perfect start for the Philippines by beating Michelle Yap of Singapore, 7-3. She will next take on Sabrina Naverschnig of Austria, a 7-4 winner over Konischi Samia of Japan.
The country's campaign here is being supported by the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) headed by its chairman Butch Ramirez, Billiards and Snooker Congress of the Philippines (BSCP), Raya Sports, Star Billiards Center and the Philippine Billiards Foundation.
