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Corteza strikes again, pockets US 10-Ball crown


For the second time in almost three weeks, Lee Van Corteza conquered two big cities in the United States to lay claim on major pool titles. The highest-rated Filipino player outlasted Chinese ace Lo Hi Wen in a grueling 25-rack encounter, 13-12, to pocket the $20,000 top prize and add the US Open 10-Ball Championship to his growing list of winning collections. More than two weeks ago, Corteza also ruled a major 10-Ball tournament in Los Angeles, the Hard Times Mezz Cues 10-Ball Open. Corteza, ranked No.5 in the World Pool-Billiard Association rankings, is one of three Filipinos to win a pool championship overseas the past three weeks. Last week, Dennis Orcullo bagged the World Pool Masters crown then Francisco “Django" Bustamante stamped his class in the Super Billiards League in Winnipeg, Canada. Playing in his favorite discipline, Corteza racked up six straight wins in the winner’s bracket. He scuttled Tony Robles of Mexico (9-6), whipped American Chris Bartram (9-5), nipped Francis Crevier of US (9-8), ran roughshod over Kuo Po-cheng of Chinese-Taipei (9-2) and edged Mike Dechaine of US (9-8), and Manny Chau of Peru (9-8), respectively. With the bruising pace taking its toll on the World Ten Ball runner-up, Corteza lost to Lo, 9-6, in the hot seat match, relegating the best player from the Negros Billiards stable in a do-or-die encounter with former US Open champion Shane Van Boening, who earlier defeated Bustamante, 9-6.


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There, Corteza found himself on the brink of defeat again. After 5-5 standoff, Van Boening racked up three straight sets and pushed Corteza on the jaws of defeat. But the Filipino ace, who finished second to world No.1 player Mika Immonen in the World Ten Ball Championship last year, rallied and won the next four to pull off a come-from-behind victory. So the stage was set for a rematch between Lo and Corteza. This time, though, Corteza got the better end of the match after gaining the much-needed confidence form his previous hill-hill encounter with Van Boening. "I hope these developments will open the eyes of our government on the importance of this sport to our country," said billiard manager Perry Mariano, who handles players like Orcullo and Ronnie Alcano. "The (Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines) as an association has already moved itself away from politics of the sport, which has done more harm than good to the sports." Mariano, who co-founded BMPAP along with Corteza's manager Jonathan Sy, added that they are hoping to make Quezon City the billiards capital of the Philippines. – JVP, Rey Joble, GMANews.TV
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