By MARK REY MONTEJO
Veteran Django Bustamante added another feather to his already colorful cap after defeating German Can Salim, 11-9, to capture the 29th Annual Jay Swanson Memorial 9-Ball Championship crown Thursday, Feb. 20, in Las Vegas.
Aging like a fine wine, the 61-year-old Bustamante showed great poise as he came through with tough shots after the German managed to tie the count at 9-all to emerge triumphant in their exciting race-to-11 match.
The win – worth $2,700 (roughly P156,393) – was Bustamante’s first in years in the city once known as the global hub for gambling and debauchery.
Apart from cash and trophy, Bustamante became the seventh Filipino to rule the annual competition. Fil-Canadian Alex Pagulayan and Dennis Orcollo have won the event in back-to-back fashions.
In advancing to the finals, the former Asian Games champion beat Joseph Crugnale (8-3), Jimmy De Sousa (8-2), Brian Bagay (8-2), Pagulayan (8-6), Kashton Keeton (8-4) and along the way after earning an opening round bye.
It was against Pagulayan – also a former world champion – where Bustamante encountered difficulties.
Pagulayan settled for third.
Other Filipinos who competeted in the event were Mark Estiola, Roberto Gomez and Jeffrey De Luna, who finished fourth.
Meanwhile in the Las Vegas10-Ball Open, Bustamante failed to sustain his strong start, yielding to German Ralf Souquet, 4-2, 4-3, while Estiola bowed to Pagulayan, 4-2, 4-2.
Bustamante and Estiola were relegated to the losers’ bracket and await their next opponents.
On the other hand, De Luna and Gomez bested their respective nemesis.
De Luna beat American Tim Tonjum, 4-2, 4-0, to set up a meeting against Poland’s Mateusz Śniegocki while Gomez survived Norwegian Emil Andre Gangflot, 4-2, 3-4, 4-3, and will challenge Polish Daniel Macioł.
