Amit falters but still confident for KO round today

MANILA—Rubilen Amit ran into a clinical and unforgiving Tsai Pei-Chen of Taiwan Wednesday and took her first loss going into the knockout phase of the Women’s World 10-Ball championship at the Nuvo City in Libis.   Chen, a former world doubles champion, prevailed, 6-2, winning five straight racks after losing the opening frame to end the classification round undefeated and earn top seeding in Group 1.   It was the second victory in as many meetings with the pint-sized Amit in a span of just two months for the tall Chen, who got out of complicated situations while leaving Amit in sticky situations which the defending champion Filipina couldn’t get out of.   “She never gave me a chance,” Amit, who won this tournament at the expense of another Taiwanese, Shu Min-Lei, said. “She was able to counter my safeties and she made fewer errors than I did today.”   The lopsided result was such a letdown since both players came into the match undefeated. Amit had  her chances, but the double gold medalist in last year’s Laos Southeast Asian Games just could not convert.   Amit took the loss in stride, saying she will be prepared for the KO stage starting Thursday at the Robinsons Galleria Mall in Ortigas.   “I think I can still sleep well tonight and put this loss behind,” said the 29-year-old Amit. “And that would get me better prepared (for the KO stages).”   Also finishing unscathed in the qualifiers were blonde bombshell Jasmine Ouschan of Austria, the former World No. 1, who lost just 12 frames in topping Group 7, and China’s Han Yu, who swept her five Group 4 matches.   Ga Young-kim, the curvy Korean who has two world titles to her resume, was second in Group 4, capping a 4-1 slate with a 6-4 victory over Keiko Yukawa, the fifth-ranked player in Japan.   Kelly Fisher of Great Britain, who finished ninth in the World Men’s 10-Ball championship last year, was 4-0 in Group 3 going into her final classification match against young Filipino Gillian Go at presstime.   Only a 6-0 win by Go could deny Fisher the top seeding in her group over Canadian Brittany Bryant.   The group topnotchers at the end of the classification late last night will earn first round byes today. All the others will start play in the round-of-32.   At 1-1 after Chen won the second frame as Amit scratched on the break, the Filipina got back on the table after a Chen scratch in breaking the third frame.   But Amit just couldn’t capitalize, bungling a safety play on the red 3 to leave an open table which Chen easily cleaned up. The Taiwanese then downed the yellow  9 in opening the fourth frame, potted the 1 ball with ease and set herself up for an elementary 2-10 combination for a 3-1 lead.   And when Amit got off her seat, she was engaged in a long safety battle by the 27-year-old Chen and appeared to have won it by getting a clear shot at No. 1 only to rattle the ball on the left corner pocket that left an easy 1-10 combo.   “I played very well,” Chen said through an interpreter. “I was nervous at first but I got through that. I think that if I can hold my nerves, I can win this event.”