Alcano beats Bata for 4th straight win at US Open 9-Ball

Filipino World Pool champ Ronato Alcano posted his fourth straight victory at the expense of compatriot Efren "Bata" Reyes at the 32nd US Open 9-Ball tournament at the Chesapeake Conference Center in Viriginia, on Thursday (Friday in the Manila). Alcano, the defending world champion in 8-ball and 9-ball, posted an 11-7 victory over Reyes, sending the 1994 US Open champion to the one-loss side of the tournament. The tournament offers a top prize of $50,000. Alcano arranged an interesting showdown with Warren Kiamco, who is the US Bar Table 9-ball and 8-ball champion. Kiamco remained in the winner's bracket after demolishing compatriot Lee Van Corteza, 11-6. Jose "Amang" Parica, showing the skills that made him a legend drubbed former world No. 1 and compatriot Francisco Bustamante, 11-8. Parica will next meet Tyler Edey, who made quite a stir when he defeated former world champion Thorsten Hohmann of Germany, 11-8. Parica, if ever he wins against Edey, will next challenge the winner of the Alcano-Kiamco match. Dennis Orcollo, another Filipino champion, gained entry to the fifth round by beating Tony Crosby, 11-4. Orcollo, who's the defending champ of the Billiards Congress of America-enjoypool.com 9-ball, will next face James Walden, who defeated last year's runner-up Rodolfo Samson of the Philippines. In other matches, Ramil Gallego beat his Canada-based compatriot Edwin Montal, 11-8, in the loser's bracket. Gallego is back in contention after losing his opening-day match and then defeating Paddy McLaughlin, 11-5, and Paul Pottier, 11-8, in the loser's bracket. Alex Pagulayan, another former world champion from the Philippines, is set to face Mike Dechaine of the United States in the one-loss side. - GMANews.TV