By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Carlo Biado is not the reigning champion of the glamorous event for nothing.
The Filipino ace displayed his wizardry on the blue-colored table and blanked Taiwanese Hsieh Chia Chen, 10-0, to barge into the semifinals of the US Open 9-Ball Championship Friday, Oct. 14, in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Biado, who is bidding to retain his title, hardly broke a sweat in dispatching his Taiwanese foe to remain the last Filipino standing in the tournament after Lee Van Corteza and Roland Garcia bowed out in their Last 16 matches.
Corteza absorbed a 10-2 beating from United Kingdom’s Chris Melling while Garcia fell short on his bid with a 10-5 loss to Austria’s Max Lechner.
Biado, meanwhile, held his ground and bested Poland’s Konrad Juszczyszyn, 10-7, in the Last 16 before routing Chen in the quarters.
His victory against Chen set him up a Final Four matchup with Spaniard Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, who outlasted Greece’s Alex Kazakis, 10-8.
Coming into the tournament emboldened after he, Rubilen Amit, and Johann Chua made history in securing the Predator World 10-Ball Teams Championship in Klangenfurt, Austria, Biado showed his readiness to defend his title after rising from the loser’s bracket to advance to the knockout stage.
Biado, however, needs to stay focused if he is to retain his crown.
The other semis matchup pits Austrian Max Lechner and Taiwanese Ko Ping Chung.
Lechner trounced United Kingdom’s Chris Melling, 10-4, while Chung squeaked past Albania’s Eklent Kaci, 10-8.
