Long shot Mazon gains semis; Alvano stays in the hunt

JAKARTA–Unheralded Filipino Jundel Mazon moved closer to a breakthrough international victory by clinching the first semifinal berth yesterday in the 2010 Guinness World Series of Pool 10-Ball Championship here.   Mazon, one of the less popular players in the 10-man RP contingent in the tournament, slipped past Japan’s Naoyuki Oi, 8-6, to earn the right to face former world champion Darren Appleton of England.   Appleton, who won the World 10-Ball championship in Manila two years ago, overcame Ralf Souquet of Germany, 8-4, in the quarterfinals, after bundling out Dennis Orcollo, 8-3, in the previous round.   Ronnie Alcano, a former double-world champion, also kept his title hopes alive by crushing compatriot Jeff de Luna, 8-3, in the round of 16, where Mazon surprised Antonio Gabica, 8-3, and Souquet eliminated Carlo Biado, 8-3.   Alcano was to play Indonesia’s Irsal Nasution for a place in the semifinals last night. Nasution had earlier eliminated former world 9-ball titlist Alex Pagulayan, 8-4.   The survivor of the Alcano-Nasution duel will face Chinese-Taipei’s Chang Jung-lin, who took out Indonesia’s Ricky Yang, 8-5, in their last 16 duel.   Mazon’s victory turned out to be sweet revenge as Oi had pulled the plug on Antonio Lining’s title hopes with an 8-6 triumph in the round of 16.   Lining sprinted to a 5-2 lead against Oi, but the Filipino uncharacteristically rushed a straight shot on the 4-ball  in the eighth rack, setting off a three-rack run for the Japanese.