Lee Van Corteza and Johann Chua squeaked past their respective veteran rivals to book semifinal berths yesterday, while other Filipino bets succumbed to their rivals in the World Pool Series-Molinari Players 8-Ball Championship in New York City.
Corteza, best known for winning the 2004 WPA World 9-Ball Tour tournament, first stunned multi-titled Mika Immonen of Finland in the race-to-15 Round of 16 match, 15-13, before he thumped Japanese bet Naoyuki Oi, 15-13, to secure a Final Four seat in this prestigious 128-man field event.
The victory lined up for Corteza a meeting with 2012 WPA World 9-Ball Championship winner Darren Appleton of United Kingdon, who foiled an all-Filipino semifinal matchup with a 15-12 triumph over Dennis Orcollo.
Orcollo appeared in control of his matches with easy victories in the previous rounds, but lost his steam against the wise tactics of Appleton.
Chua, for his part, kept his composure and outlasted United Kingdom’s Chris Melling, 15-14, in a victory that set him a semis meeting with Russian Rusland Chinahov.