Fiery Amit upends Ouschan

MANILA, Philippines—Filipino ace Rubilen Amit outplayed Austrian Jasmin Ouschan, 6-2, in a duel between past and reigning champions Friday to reach the top 16 of the 2011 Yalin World Women’s 10-Ball Championship at Robinsons Galleria in Ortigas.

The 30-year-old Amit, the event’s inaugural champion in 2009 who is gearing up for the coming Southeast Asian Games, roared to a 5-1 lead before missing the 6-ball in the seventh rack to allow her comely blonde rival back to the table.

But Ouschan also blundered in the eighth rack and Amit, the SEA Games defending champ in 8-ball and 9-ball singles, wrapped up her fourth win in the tournament.

“It’s a good thing I had many opportunities at the table,” Amit, who has shed off pounds after competing in recent fun runs, said in Filipino.

“I would want to still face Jasmin in the finals as it will be the battle of the 2009 and 2010 champions.”

Amit, who placed third here last year, topped her group with a 4-1 record. She lost to American Monica Webb, 3-6, late Thursday, but still carried enough rack points to lead the star-studded bracket.

Ouschan claimed the opening rack, but Amit took the next five to get on the hill.

Amit, bunched among the favorites in the event, piled up three wins in a row at the expense of Natalya Seroshtan (6-2), S.M. Liu of China (6-4) and J. Wu of Chinese Taipei (6-4), before bowing to Webb.

“After four good matches I just had the first downfall against Rubilen Amit,” said Ouschan on Twitter. “She played really well.”

Ouschan went on to crush Webb, 6-1, and advance to the next round.

The other Filipino seeing action in the event, Iris Ranola, bowed to Russian Kamila Khodjeava, 6-5, later in the day.

Ranola’s chances of moving to the next round now depends on the outcome of late matches in her group.

“We are using this event to gain inspiration for the SEA Games,” said Amit.

The winner of the event will earn $20,000, while the runner-up gets $9,000. Third and fourth placers get $5,000 each.