Former golf caddy Carlo Biado and fancied Dennis Orcollo posted contrasting victories Wednesday to tow three other Filipinos into the final 32 of the 2015 World 9-ball Championship at Al Arabi Sports Club in Doha, Qatar.
The 31-year-old Biado, who shifted to billiards full-time in 2004, trounced veteran compatriot Lee Vann Corteza, 11-5, while Orcollo lived up to hype with an 11-1 crushing of Mishel Turkey, the last Qatari in the fold.
Biado, currently ranked No. 4 by the World Pool-Billiard Association, next tangles with the dangerous Ko Pin-yi of Chinese Taipei Thursday night.
Other Filipinos who stayed in contention for the $30,000 champion’s purse were the veteran Warren Kiamco and rising stars Jeffrey Ignacio and Oliver Medenilla.
Kiamco, rated No. 5 by the WPBA, subdued Raymund Faraon, 11-7; Ignacio whipped Canada’s Jason Klatt, 11-5; while Medenilla, an overseas Filipino worker, tamed Poland’s Karol Skowerski, 11-4.
Qatar-based Antonio Gabica and Johann Chua headed to the exits following defeats to Russian Ruslan Chinakov, 5-11, and Japanese Yukio Akagariyama, 11-5, respectively.
The multititled Orcollo is hoping to duplicate the feat of Francisco “Django” Bustamante, the last Filipino to rule the prestigious $200,000 tournament in 2010. Roy Luarca