Gomez, Corteza live another day in World 9-ball

Roberto Gomez was one rack away from being shown the door by an unseeded Jordanian in the 2011 WPA World 9-Ball Championship.

But the breaks went in favor of the tournament’s 2007 runner-up as Gomez outlasted Ahmed Naeem Ali, 9-8, at the Al Sadd Sports Club in Doha, Qatar Sunday night.

No more slip-ups in the final rack hampered Gomez from getting a new lease in life, along with eight other Filipinos in the losers bracket.

Gomez nearly lost it in the 15th rack, as he flubbed the seven ball which paved way for Ali to take a crucial 8-7 lead and a step closer to one of his career’s biggest upsets.

But the newcomer pool artist from the Middle East cracked under pressure with a costly scratch in the 16th rack, giving the more seasoned Gomez the chance to go for the clear.

Lee Van Corteza, Israel Rota, and Vicenancio Tanio also lived another day by bundling out Canada’s Erik Hjorliefson, Libya’s Mazon Berjawi and UAE’s Amin Fekry, respectively, with 9-4 victories.

Joven Alba triumphed over Italy’s Bruno Muratore, 9-6, while the masterful Antonio Gabica defeated UAE’s Majed Al Zaab, 9-4.

Virtual unknown Raymund Faron trumped Iran’s Hamzah Al Saeed, 9-2, even as Caneda Villamor bounced back from a loss against Francisco “Django” Bustamante with a 9-0 shutout of New Zealand’s Jon Grimley.

Former world number one Antonio Lining, meanwhile, barged into the winners column with a 9-4 triumph over Liu Cheng Chie.

Former World 9-Ball and 8-Ball champion Ronnie Alcano downed Kuwait’s Hamzal AlSaeed, 9-5, also in the group stages.

Lining and Alcano, together with Efren “Bata” Reyes, Dennis Orcollo, Django Bustamante and other winners, will play to make it to the round-of-64 of the$250,000 tournament that dangles a $36,000 purse for the champion.

Reyes faces Russia’s Konstantin Stepanov for a slot in the next round, Bustamante meets with Kuwait’s Majide Alazme tonight.

Orcollo also have to get past Venezuela’s Yousef Jalal to march on to the knockout phase.