Notes from Philippine Open Pool Championship

Interesting stories from the Philippine Open Pool Championship didn’t only have to do with action around the pool table. The stories told by the players themselves serve as the perfect backdrop to what is expected to be a grand finale in both the men and women’s divisions Monday night. Ralf Souquet of Germany and Antonio Lining will not only be disputing a seat in the championship round. The two will test each other’s strengths – mentally and physically. While both are considered by their peers as intelligent, the two players are not exactly in the best of shape going into the last four of this World Pool-Billiard Association event. “I’ve been playing with a back and shoulder injury and it has bothered me several times. It’s still there, but I’m just trying to keep my focus and get my mind off it," said Souquet, a double world champion. Lining’s own injury has been bothering him for about two decades now, and only recently has he made it known publicly. “Mga 20 taon na siguro akong may nararamdaman mula braso ko hanggang balikat," said Lining. “Dinadaan ko na nga lang sa masahe and acupuncture. Madalas nga akong matalo sa mga bandang dulo na ng laban and madalas ako pa yung lamang. Natatalo ako dahil unti-unti akong makakaramdam ng sakit sa braso at balikat." At the end of their semis match, Souquet's hurting arm looked completely healed as he kept Lining on his seat most of the time en route to a sweep victory, 9-0. Last-minute substitute now in finals Thorsten Hohmann of Germany wasn’t supposed to join the Philippine Open due to his early commitment to play in the United States. But a last-minute call informing him that the U.S. event was canceled prompted him to call Raya Sports and tell the officials he wanted to compete in Manila. Unfortunately, the spots were already taken, leaving the former world champion without a tournament to join. But when a door closes, a window opens. Ruslan Chinakhov of Russia pulled out due to ill health. The information was relayed to Hohmann. At the last minute, the former World 9-Ball champion who has yet to win a major tournament in the Philippines agreed to catch a flight for the Pool Capital of the World. “I was a last-minute inclusion and was supposedly not to join, but here I am now, already in the finals. I just hope the luck continues so I can win my first title in the Philippines. It will be truly special if I win here," said Hohmann. Hohmann outlasted Liu Haitao of China, 9-8, in a thrilling semifinals showdown to set up an all-German finale. Both Souquet and Hohmann are seeking their first-ever championship in Manila, but only one of them will go home victorious at the end of the tournament. Biado: A caddie turned pool player Carlo Biado never dreamed of becoming a pool player. He was introduced to another sport, one that is usually played by the rich and famous – golf. “Dati akong caddie," said Biado. “Pumapalo-palo rin ako ng konti, pero yun talaga ang trabaho ko." He never got a chance to serve as caddie to some of the best golfers the country has produced, such as Frankie Minoza, Juvic Pagunsan, Angelo Que or Dottie Ardina. He only remembers one celebrity whom he helped carry the golf clubs for, accompanying him from sunrise to sundown. “Si Monsour (del Rosario) lang. Siya lang ang sikat na kinuha akong caddie," said Biado. But it was in the club house of golf courses where Biado discovered his talent – playing competitive pool. “Sa golf club houses rin ako nahasa mag-bilyar, hanggang sa nakahiligan na," said Biado. New mandatory timeout rule irks top players Double world champion Ronnie Alcano of the Philippines and reigning women’s No.1 player Ga Young Kim of Korea have expressed their sentiments over the new mandatory timeout rule in the Philippine Open Pool Championship. “Paano kung gusto mong mag-CR at hindi mo na mapigil? Baka naman magkasakit pa kami sa bato niyan?," said Alcano. “Yan nga ang isang dahilan bakit masama ang laro ko, kasi hindi ka kumportable eh, dahil may nararamdaman ka at gusto mo nga'ng mag-CR." Kim, the curvaceous player who quickly became a crowd favorite, also disagreed with the new rule that says players can only take a five-minute break at the halfway mark of the match. “It’s impossible for us to go back in five minutes, considering that the comfort room is far from the playing venue," said Kim. “When I went to the comfort room, I had to fall in line, as there were a lot of people waiting for their turn to change their outfits fior an anime party nearby." -Rey Joble/KY/OMG, GMA News