Anthony Raga fell short in his bid for a first major international crown but won the hearts of billiards fans from across the world.
Raga suffered a heartbreaking 13-12 loss to Spain’s David Alcaide in the finals of the 2023 European Open Championship Sunday at the Hotel Esperanto in Fulda, Germany.
Despite the loss, the rising Cebuano star was still hailed and commended for showing a big fighting heart against a well-decorated rival.
Like a scene from a Hollywood car chase, the title duel was dramatic and intense, what with their spectacular shots plus wondrous safety shots and powerful breaks.
Raga was actually was four balls away from the threshold of greatness but to his horror, he misfired, bungling an attempt on the six-ball to the side pocket.
Alcaide did not waste time in capitalizing on Raga’s miscue, smartly cleaning up the table to win the $30,000 top prize.
Ragas, ranked No. 114 in the 256-player field, will not go home empty-handed as he pocketed $15,000 (roughly P800,000).
More than that, he outshone World Cup of Pool champions Johann Chua and James Aranas.
Showing steely resolve, Raga, 25, rallied from a 10-8 deficit to surge ahead 12-11.
The Spaniard forced a hill-hill situation by coming through several tough shots before Raga committed a blunder that ended his Cinderella run.
Certainly, Raga will go home with head held high having toppled some of the world’s top players, including a masterful 10-0 win over legendary Taiwanese Ko Pin Yi.
His other victims were Mateusz Sniegocki of Poland (10-8), John Morra of Canada (10-4) in the round-of-16, Wojciech Szewczyk of Poland (10-7) in the quarterfinals, and hometown bet and world No. 1 Joshua Filler, 11-9, in the semifinals. (MARK REY MONTEJO)
