Taiwanese ace Chang Jun-Lin turns back Roberto Gomez

MANILA, Philippines—Chinese Taipei’s Chang Jun-lin capitalized on a crucial error by Roberto Gomez in the 13th rack to escape with a 9-7 victory Saturday night in their Philippine Bigtime Billiards Face-Off series at the Pagcor Airport Casino in Parañaque City.

Dubbed as the “Filipino Superman,” Gomez kept Chang at bay early in the 10-ball match until he bungled a shot at the 9 ball, and the Taiwanese wasted no time to forge ahead at 7-6.

Determined to stay in the match, Gomez managed to tie it at 7-7 before Chang pounced on the Filipino’s unproductive break to secure the next two games for the win.

“The turning point was when I missed the 9 ball in the 13th rack that allowed him to take the lead for the first time,” said Gomez in Filipino.

He admitted that he lost grip of the match from then on as Chang suddenly gained confidence.

Chang, the Guinness Asian 9-ball Tour overall champion, went home with the $5,000 winner’s prize, while Gomez, who made the finals of the 2007 World Pool Championships in Manila as an unseeded player, settled for $2,500.

The PBB Face Off series is a joint project of the Mega Sports World and BRKHRD Corp and was aired live over Solar Sports, Sky Channel 70 and Destiny Channel 34. It was also streamed live at www.megasportsworld.com and www.philippinebigtimebilliards.com.

The unique matchups—where some of the world’s finest cue masters are pitted against each other as bettors wagered on them via egames or inside the casino—was organized by Airport Casino Filipino, Crown Sound System Sakura Amplifiers and Home Theater Systems, Malungai Life Oil, Diamond Billiard table, Hermes Sports Bar, I-Bar, Golden Leaf Restaurant, Bugsy Promotions, Mandarin Sky Sea Food Restaurant and the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines.

Two more duels are scheduled before the year is over with Chang battling Carlo Biado on Dec. 23, and China’s former world champion Wu Chiaching going up against Efren “Bata” Reyes on Dec. 30.