Bautista, Alcano stun 10-ball foes

GENERAL SANTOS CITY—UPCOMING pool star Arnel Bautista stunned defending champion Thorsten Hohmann, 9-5, yesterday in the third round of eliminations of the MP Cup Philippine Open 10-Ball champiosnhip at SM City Mall here.

The streaking Bautista, recent winner of the King of Sports Philippine Open 10-Ball tournament in Manila and two other tournaments in Malaysia, capitalized on every miscue of Hohmann to advance to the Round of 32.

Bautista faces Roberto Gomez in the next round. Gomez beat local Jech Limen to join fellow unbeaten players Mark Romero, Warren Kiamco, Roland dela Cruz, Godofredo Ducanes, Ruben Cuna, Jeffrey Ignacio, Tony Punzalan, Christian Gariendo and Benjie Guevarra.

Veteran Ronnie Alcano likewise created a major stir by beating three-time US Champion and World No. 3 Shane Van Boening, 5-3, in a match that ended prematurely.

With Alcano leading, 5-3, and Van Boening about to sink the “10” ball to narrow the gap, Van Boening made a foul shot by not signaling the pocket where he will sink the last ball. Upset and furious with his own rules infraction, Van Boening surrendered the match and later accepted his fault. He was relegated to the losers’ bracket.

Group 3 round of 32 qualifiers include the indefatigable Efren “Bata” Reyes, Rodney Morris, Alex Pagulayan and Ramil Gallego.

Reyes will be facing Morris in the winners’ bracket of this so-called “Group of Death” section while Pagulayan, a Filipino representing Canada, battles Gallego.

Mika Immonen, the world No. 16, beat Antonio Lining, 9-3, and likewise advanced.