INQUIRER Sports

THE PHILIPPINES’ TOUTED PAIR of Francisco “Django” Bustamante and Dennis Orcollo swamped Russia, 8-3, Friday night and barged into the quarterfinals of the 2008 PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool in Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Bidding to recapture the title won by Bustamante and Efren “Bata” Reyes in 2006, the Philippines will meet Japan in the round of eight Saturday night.

The second-seeded Filipinos also trounced the host Danes, 8-2, in the opening round of the annual tournament offering $60,000 to the champions.

Japanese aces Satoshi Kawabata and Naoyuki Oi advanced at the expense of the Netherlands Team B composed of Roy Gerards and Gijs van Helmond, 8-5.

Against fifth-ranked Russia, represented by European No. 1 Konstantin Stepanov and Russian Chinakhov, the Philippines took the opener but allowed its opponent to equalize at 1-1.

An illegal break allowed the Philippines to move ahead, followed by a measured run out from the break, 3-1.

An Orcollo scratch in the center pocket gifted the next rack to Russia, 3-2, but the Philippines took the next three racks to pull ahead at 6-2.

Both sides had chances in the next frame before a bad safety by Orcollo, currently the world’s No. 1 player, hit a bad safety on the six ball and allowed the Russians to move within 6-3.

It proved to be Russia’s last stand, however, as the Philippines took the next two frames to seal the victory and advanced with Japan, the United States, England, Germany, defending champion China and unseeded Austria.

Focus in the quarterfinals will be on the confrontation between England (Ralf Soquet and Thomas Engert) and England (Daryl Peach and Mark Gray).

England conquered Canada, 8-4, while Germany downed Poland, 8-6, in the round of 16.

Powered by 2007 world 9-ball champion Daryl Peach, the Americans subdued the Croatians, 8-5, and will next meet the Austrians.