Bustamante gets door in World 8-Ball tourney

Reigning World 9-Ball champion and current world No.1 player Francisco “Django" Bustamante has just been knocked out of the race for the World 8-Ball crown at the Fujairah Exhibition Center in Fujairah United Arab Emirates late Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila). Relegated to the loser’s side after a tough 6-7 loss to former World 9-Ball champion Daryl Peach of Great Britain Monday, Bustamante dropped his match to David Alcaide of Spain, 3-7, in their survival match in Group 2.

Bustamante is one among the early Pinoy casualties in this tournament, which serves as the first ranking event of the sanctioning World Pool-Billiard Association (WPA). Unheralded Filipino bet Vicenancio Taino also bowed out when he was outplayed by former world No.1 player and reigning World Ten Ball titlist Mika Immonen, 4-7. Bustamante’s early exit in this tournament overshadowed his compatriots’ solid showing in the World 8-Ball Championship. Double world champions Efren “Bata" Reyes and Ronnie Alcano, veteran campaigner Antonio Lining, former World Ten Ball runner-up Lee Van Corteza, former World 9-Ball runner-up Roberto Gomez, Francisco Felicilda, Oliver Medenilla and Rodolfo Luat are among the seeded in the Stage 2 after going undefeated in Stage 1. Down to last 56 The World 8-Ball Championship is now down to the last 56 men standing battling it out for the coveted crown. Leading the cast in the final stage of the tournament is Filipino cue artist Antonio Lining, who will be joined by compatriot Oliver Mendenilla, former World Ten Ball champion Darren Appleton of Great Britain, Nick van den Berg of the Netherlands, defending champion Karl Boyes of Great Britain, Chang Jung Lin of Chinese Taipei, Bashar Hussain of Qatar, and Vincent Facquet of France. These players will take a bye in the first round of the final stage. But several Filipino players are already in the final stage of this event which include double world champions Efren “Bata" Reyes and Ronie Alcano, who are scheduled to play Wednesday night (Thursday morning in Manila). Other Pinoy players in the final stage are Joven Bustamante, former world No. 1 Dennis Orcullo, Joven Alba, Ramil Gallego, former World Ten Ball runner-up Lee Van Corteza, John Salazar, former World 9-Ball runner-up Roberto Gomez, Rodolfo Luat and Raymond Faraon. - Rey Joble, GMA News