INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, PHILIPPINES---Four Filipino billiards masters advanced to the round-of-32 after notching crucial wins yesterday in the 2nd World Ten Ball Championship at the World Trade Center.

Cebu?s Warren ?Warrior? Kiamco, Antonio ?Nickoy? Lining, Dennis ?Robocop? Orcullo and Lee Vann ?The Slayer? Corteza kept alive the country?s hopes of producing a Filipino champion in the blue-ribbon tournament which attracted the world?s top billiards players.

Kiamco of Pasil, Cebu survived some scary moments before edging Jalal Yousef of the United Arab Emirates, 9-8 while Lining of Pinamalayan, Oriental Mindoro toppled Corey Deuel of the United States, 9-4.

Later yesterday, Orcullo and Corteza joined them in the Last 32 to also stay in the hunt for the $60,000 champion?s purse.

Orcullo dominated Ernesto Dominguez of Mexico, 9-2 while Corteza needed nerves of steel before downing Russian Knostantin Stepanov, 9-7.

?Sana suwertehin pa din at pumanig ang bola sa susunod na game ko. Hindi basta-basta si Hohmann (Thorsten),?said Kiamco, who is fresh from a third place finish in the Filipino dominated All Japan 9-Ball Championships topped by Francisco ?Django? Bustamante.

Kiamco, playing under the banner of the Negros Billiard Stable, will face former World 9-Ball Champion Thorsten Hohmann of Germany, who downed 2008 Reno WPA World Junior finalist Jerico Banares, 9-1.

Lining for his part, echoed Kiamco?s prayer for Lady Luck to favor them. Lining lost to Bustamante in the finals of All Japan 9-Ball Championships.

Today, Lining will square off with Naoyuki Ooi of Japan, who nipped Adam Smith of the USA, 9-4.

Meanwhile, youthful Jomar de Ocampo failed to advance past the round-of-64 after losing to Young Hwa Jeong of Korea, 9-5.

In the next round, Jeong will meet Anh Tuan Nguyen of Vietnam who upset veteran campaigner Karl Boyes of Great Britain.