Amit, Ranola suffer defeats early in the World 10-Ball tournament
After a hot streak, Rubilen Amit suffers her first defeat in the 2011 Women's World 10-Ball Championship.
MANILA, Philippines—Filipino bets Rubilen Amit and Iris Ranola ran out of luck Thursday but both remain alive in the group stages of the 2011 Women’s World 10-Ball Championship.
Unlucky in the break, 2009 World 10-Ball champion Amit’s hot streak was halted after a 3-6 setback over United States’ Monica Webb.
Ranola, meanwhile, failed to pounce on Fil-American Mary Rakin’s fatal error with just two balls left in 10th rack and eventually lost, 5-6.
These were Amit and Ranola’s first setbacks in their respective groups, but both are still in pace to make it to the last-24 of the competition, which dangles a $20,000 grand prize.
Amit, trailing by 2-4, had a chance to pull within one but sorely botched the break which gave Webb the chance to run out the table.
California-based Rakin misfired on a supposedly easy shot on the nine-ball, but Ranola went for the safety and left the table wide open for Rakin to finish.
Amit, despite the loss, is virtually in the knockout round-of-24 with a 3-1 card in group one but will still face defending World 10-ball champion Jasmin Ouschan of Austria on Friday, 2 p.m. at the Robinson’s Galleria.
Amit earlier defeated Nataliya Seroshtan of Russia, 6-2; Shin Mei Liu of Chinese Taipei, 6-4; and Wu Jing of China, 6-4.
Ranola earlier stunned China’s Asian Games bronze medalist Xiaofang Fu, 6-3, then also survived Taipei’s Hsiao Chi Lin, 6-5.
