Former world champ Alcano makes it, but Lining, Hohmann fall

It was a day of surprises in Day Two of the World Ten Ball Championship as world No.1 player Antonio Lining and newly-crowned Philippine Open titlist Thorsten Hohmann suffered stinging setbacks against their respective opponents in the scheduled afternoon matches at the World Trade Center in Pasay City. Lining was beaten by Artem Koschovy, a young player from Ukraine, who is a first-time competitor in Manila. Koschovy won, 9-5. The young European player led from start to finish. He took advantage of Lining’s inconsistent showing to salvage a win and join the favored players, who are already in the knockout stage of this event sanctioned by the World Pool-Billiard Association and supported by the Billiard and Snooker Congress of the Philippines. Koschovy is one among the young competitors who made it to the last 64 and he will use the one-day break on Thursday to relax and prepare for the knockout matches. “First thing I should do is to rest and possibly do shopping," said Koschovy. Lining offered no excuses and admitted he really played a bad game. “Masama yung pocketing ko, pati yung breaking," said Lining, semifinalist in the last staging of this tournament in 2009 also at the World Trade Center. Hohmann, another tournament favorite, also fell prey against his less heralded rival, Youseff Jalal of Venezuela, 7-9. Jalal jumped off to an early a 4-0 lead before the German gathered enough strength to come back. Hohmann, also a former world champion, was able to tie the match at 7-all and appeared to have gained the momentum, but a dry break on the 15th rack allowed Jalal to get back at the table. The beefy Venezuelan player took care of business in the 15th and 16th rack to repulse Hohmann’s rally and enter the last 64 of this event. “I think I’ve brought my A-game against Hohmann, but more than that, the 4-0 lead was a good investment, that’s why I was able to win," said Jalal, one of the few underdogs who made it to the last 64. “I don’t want to become one of the favorites. It gives me more pressure," he added. ‘The Volcano’ joins ‘Robocop’ in last 64 After Dennis “Robocop" Orcullo made it to the last 64 in the late morning matches, double world champion Ronnie “The Volcano" Alcano joined his fellow Pinoy in the knockout stage after subduing Toh Lian Han of Singapore, 9-6, in the afternoon matches. Alcano shattered a 6-all deadlock by taking the next three racks to seal the win – a win that doesn’t satisfied the 2006 World 9-Ball champion and 2007 World 8-Ball titlist. “Yung kahapong laro pati yung ngayon, parehas hindi maganda," said Alcano. “Pero maski papano, nakapasok na tayo dahil yun naman ang target ng lahat yung makapasok sa round-of-64." Three more Pinoy players have also marched into the last 64 -- Vicencio Taino, Roberto Gomez and Jeff de Luna. Taino defeated fellow Overseas Filipino Worker Dennis Pulpul, 9-5; Gomez ripped compatriot Jundel Mazon, 9-5; and De Luna drubbed Yang Ching Shun of Chinese Taipei, 9-5. Carlo Biado, an up-and-coming player from the Philippines, lost on the first day of the tournament and found himself in a must-win situation while playing on the TV table. Feeling the pressure of both playing on a televised game watched by local and international audience and a situation where he cannot afford to lose a match, Biado was lucky to salvage a 9-7 win over Charlie Williams of the United States. It was a tough win for Biado, who fought back from a 4-7 deficit. But a missed shot by Williams on the last ball No.10 in the 12th rack, allowed Biado a chance to come back. “Siya na dapat ang unang makaka-hill, pero dahil sumablay siya nagkaroon ako ng tyansa," added Biado, a former caddie. Biado took the next five racks to regain the lead, 8-7, but a missed bank shot at No.4, gave Williams an opportunity – an opportunity which he failed to cash in. Williams made the No.4, but missed on the No.5 at the corner and Biado wasted no time disposing off the remaining balls to live for another day. Biado’s next match will be against a fellow Filipino, Lining, in a do-or-die encounter on Thursday. “Nagmamadali akong tumira kaya sumablay ako sa No.4. Ang iniisip ko nga kung makuha niya yung rack baka lalong lumiit tsansa ko manalo kasi siya pa rin magbi-break sa last rack. Buti naman sumamblay siya sa No. 5," added Biado. - GMA News