The Taiwanese got SMOKED The Match was played
EVEN WITHOUT the greatest, the rest of the Philippines’ best proved enough to take on the dreaded Taiwanese cue artists.
Antonio "Nickoy" Lining and Antonio Gabica made short work of ChinShung Yang and Che-Wei Fu, 9-1, to hand the country the title in the RP-Taiwan 9-Ball Challenge at the Octagon Hall in Robinson’s Galleria.
Needing only five racks to secure the $40,000 winner’s share, the Filipino duo chose to go for the kill — a cold-blooded massacre in this case.
The Taiwanese, tagged as the Filipinos’ only rival in Asian billiards supremacy, settled for the loser’s purse of $20,000.
"Mahirap nang masilat kaya talagang tinarget namin yung panalo, said Lining, who finally showed the form that made him an international sensation not too long ago.
The score stood at 25-17 with two doubles matches remaining and the hosts are assured of at least a fourpoint winning margin.
Marlon Manalo and Dennis Orcullo earlier scored a convincing 9-3 win over the Taiwanese pair of Fong Pang Chao and PeiWei Chang to virtually clinch the title for the country.
The host is handicapped by the absence of pool legends Efren "Bata" Reyes and Francisco "Django" Bustamante, but their non-appearance only made the win more impressive considering that Taiwan brought in their howitzers led by twice World Pool champ Chao and Asian Games gold medal winner Yang.
Inspired by Manalo’s amazing come-from-behind 9-8 triumph over Yang in the final individual match Wednesday, the Filipinos raced to a 6-0 lead highlighted by Orcullo’s golden break on the sixth.
Counting Manalo’s eight-frame cluster in his win, the Filipinos had won 14 straight racks, the longest run in the threeday event sponsored by Motolite, PCSO, Elasto Seal, No Fear, Emperador Brandy, Air21, FedEx, Phil.Star, Fortune Tobacco and Tanduay
"Maganda ang naging simula namin kaya napressure agad yung mga kalaban," said Manalo, who in the process avenged his opening day loss to Chao.
True to Manalo’s observation, the Taiwanese appeared jittery in the midst of the Filipino’s assault with Chang missing gimmes including a simple side-to-side shot on the nine-ball in the 10th frame that enabled the Filipinos to reach the hill at 8-2.
With Gabica scoring two wins, the Philippines took a commanding 17-13 lead in individual plays.