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LEE VAN ?The Slayer? Corteza was in his elements, Roberto ?Pinoy Superman?Gomez was a little shaky but came through and Ronato ?Volcano? Alcano was simply terrible.
Contrasting results for the three Filipino pool aces marked the second day of the 34th Annual US Open 9-Ball Championship at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Chesapeake, Virginia yesterday.
Corteza, a multiple Southeast Asian Games gold medalist had little trouble against Kimi Alaksonen, 11-3. Gomez, the 2007 World Pool Championship finalist went through the wringer before escaping heavyweight Oscar Dominguez, 11-8 while Alcano, a former US Open 9-ball finalist and WPA 9-ball and 8-ball winner, lost to Japanese Tomoo Takano, 11-6.
Alcano?s loss means the winner of this year?s Galveston World Classic 8-Ball will need to sweep all his remaining matches in the losers? brackets to be able advance to the money round, in the event which offers $100,000 to the champion.
Corteza,who hails from Davao City, will face Stephan Folan in the next round. Folan downed Bill Mason, 11-6. Gomez on the other hand, will take on Joey Korsiak in the third round of the winners? bracket after the latter routed Matt Clatterbuck, 11-3.
Sharing the limelight were Jose ?Amang? Parica, Marlon ?Marvelous? Manalo, Al Lapena, Warren ?Warrior? Kiamco and Ramil ?Bebeng? Gallego who all won their second round matches.
Parica turned back American Tony Chohan, 11-9; Manalo ripped Mexican Ernesto Dominguez, 11-3; Manalo beat CJ Willey, 11-4; while Lapena drubbed Rory Hendrickson, 11-7.
Kiamco, another SEA Games multiple gold medallist from Pasil, Cebu subdued James Roberts, 11-5; while the Japan-based Gallego, the Villar Cup Iloilo leg titlist who defeated Niels Feijen, 11-8 in the first round, blasted Ambrosio Almoite, 11-4 yesterday.
Other renowned billiards masters still in the winners? brackets include Corey Deuel, Rodney Morris, Shane Van Boening, Johnny Archer and Earl Strickland of the host country, David Alcaide of Spain, Karl Boyes, reigning World Ten-ball champion Darren Appleton of Great Britain and Ralf Souquet of Germany.
