Orcollo heads PH World Cup binge

MULTITITLED Dennis Orcollo lived up to hype by trouncing Spaniard Francisco Diaz Pizarro, 9-4, in Group 13 Sunday night and spearheading a bunch of Filipinos gunning for berths in the Final 64 of the World 9-ball Championship at Al Arabi Sports Club in Doha, Qatar.

Orcollo, the 2010 World Cup of Pool, 2011 World 8-ball champion and reigning US Open 8-ball titlist, was joined in the winner’s bracket by Antonio Gabica, who beat Kuwaiti Omar Alsheen, 9-3, in Group 16 and Jeffrey Ignacio, who bested Sweden’s Andreas Gerwen, 9-7, in Group 15.

They need one more win to advance to the Final 64 of the event that stakes $30,000 to the champion.

Other Filipinos who hurdled their opening matches late Saturday were Carlo Biado (G8), Warren Kiamco (G5) and Johann Chua (G6).

Two other Filipinos in the losers’ bracket—Lee Vann Corteza and Qatar-based Francisco Felicilda— stayed in contention. Cortez nipped UAE’s Mohamed Al Hosaini, 9-7, in Group 7 and Felicilda beat Lebanese Mohammad Berjaoui, 9-7. Roy Luarca