Orcollo opens 9-ball title bid vs dangerous foe

MANILA, Philippines – World no. 1 Dennis Orcollo of the Philippines will be immediately challenged by three-leg winner Chang Jung-Lin when the Guinness 9-Ball Tour 2008 Singapore leg starts Friday at the Velocity@Novena Square. Orcollo, who recently won the 2008 World 9-ball tilt in United Arab Emirates, will be facing Chang in his first match in Group A, which the organizers consider as the “Group of Death". Chang has won the first three-legs of the tour held in Chinese-Taipei, Penang and Genting Highlands in Malaysia. Veteran cue artists Ricky Yang of Indonesia is also playing in Group A. Aside from Orcollo, the other Filipinos who are seeing action in the tournament are Joven Bustamante, Alex Pagulayan, 2008 Genting runner-up Antonio Gabica, and Tour newcomer Jericho Bañares. Bustamante is in Group E with Li He-Wen of China and Han Hao Xiang of Hong Kong while Pagulayan will face Malaysian Ibrahim Bin Amir and Nitiwat Kanjanasari of Thailand in Group G. Gabica will start his campaign against 2005 SEA Games 9 Ball gold medalist Toh Lian Han and Siauw Wieto of Indonesia in Group C. Bañares will exchange shots against Wang Hung-Hsiang of Chinese-Taipei and Nguyen Anh Tuan of Vietnam in Group H. At stake in the Singapore leg is a total prize purse of $50,000 and points to qualify for the Tour's grand finals in Jakarta, where only the Top 10 players in the Order of Merit will compete. Leg winners will earn US$15,000 while the Grand Final Champion will bag US$36,000. The top 10 players also earn automatic berths in the 2008 WPA World Pool Championships later this year. – GMANews.TV