Former world No. 1 Francisco ?Django? Bustamante officially bowed out of the 2008 Turning Stone Classic XI 9-Ball Tournament, when he dropped a bitter, 8-9 loss to former world 9-ball champion, American Johnny ?The Scorpion? Archer on Monday, in the loser's bracket at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York.

Bustamante, the 2002 World Pool Championship runner-up, joined other early Filipino casualties Jose ?Amang? Parica and Mhet Vergara. It was Bustamante's second loss in the tournament following his setback to England?s Raj Hundal, 9-4, in the sixth round.

However, Hundal, a former snooker specialist also yielded to Korean-American Charlie ?The Korean Dragon? Williams, 9-7, for the hot-seat match that put him in the one-loss side.

Bustamante, who racked up five straight wins before bowing to Hundal, beat America's No. 1 player Shane ?The South Dakota Kid? Van Boening, 9-3, before he suffered his second loss to Archer.

After beating Bustamante, Archer extended his winning run by edging Hundal, 9-8, for the last berth and earned the right to play Williams for the title in this $25,000 total pot prize tournament, double elimination format tournament. /Correspondent Marlon Bernardino