Manalo, De Luna win opening matches at PPT Ten-Ball

MANILA, Philippines – Marlon Manalo and Jeffrey De Luna won their opening-round matches in the second leg of the Philippine Pool Tour (PPT) Ten-Ball event, held on Friday in Puerto Princesa Coliseum in Palawan. Manalo beat Taiwan's Chin Te-Chung, 9-6, and De Luna beat Edgar "Malabon" Acaba, 9-1. Manalo's next opponent is compatriot Jordan Legaspi of Bocaue, Bulacan, who downed Mario Tolentino, 9-7, in their opening tussle. "I was just lucky," said Manalo in a press release issued on Friday. Manalo won four straight racks after the match was tied at 5-all to win his opening match in the double-elimination tournament, which was organized by the Billiards and Snookers Congress of the Philippines and Raya Sports. Manalo is also looking at a better finish in the tournament following his runner-up finish at the Mandaluyong Mayor's Cup, the first leg of the tour. De Luna, 2006 Doha Asian Games 9-ball silver medalist, will next meet Guinness 9-Ball event reigning World Junior Champion Ko Pin-Yi of Taiwan who disposed unheralded Junbert Ogang, 9-3. In other matches, defending World 8-Ball champion Ralf Souquet of Germany dominated Oliver Villafuerte, 9-2, to arrange a meeting with Kenji Taguchi ng Japan who defeated Rocky Tullao, 9-4. Mandaluyong Mayor's Cup Philippine Pool Tour champ Antonio "Ga-Ga" Gabica downed snooker specialist Luis Saberdo, 9-7; Courtney Symons of Thailand upset former world 9-ball and world straight ball champion Thorsten Hohmann of Germany, 9-6; Boots Augusto edged Jorge Dacer, 9-7; Raymund Faraon dominated Jonathan Corpuz, 9-2; and another world titlist Wu Chia-Ching of Taiwan defeated Arturo Palma, 9-3. - GMANews.TV