Carlo Biado beat China’s Xu Xiao Cong, 9-6, yesterday to lead an early charge by Filipino bets in the World 9-Ball Championship at the Al-Arabi Sports Club in Doha, Qatar.
The winner of this year’s World Games and Southeast Asian Games 9-ball competitions was one of seven Pinoys who won on opening day while boosting their chances of making the knockout stage of the annual tournament.
Warren Kiamco, Biado’s doubles partner when they won the 2015 SEA Games gold, also won his opening match with a 9-3 mastery of South Africa’s Jason Theron while Jeff de Luna produced a 9-1 triumph over Algeria’s Mohamed El-Raoussi.
Johann Chua also started his campaign on his high note by defeating Iran’s Hassan Zeraatgar, 9-4, even as Francisco Felicilda beat Argentina’s Jorge Llanos, 9-8.
Also winning were Jeffrey Ignacio with a 9-3 win against American Robert Hart, Roland Garcia 9-6 opposite India’s Aayush Kumar.
They need just one win to advance to the tournament’s round-of-32 but a loss would relegate them to the loser’s bracket.
Two Filipinos will have to go the hard way after Israel Rota fell 9-6 to Taiwan’s Chieh Liu Cheng and Alex Pagulayan falling 9-8 to 2012 champion Yukio Akagariyama of Japan. (Jonas Terrado)