Sun.Star: Corteza opens WPC bid against Serbian

DAVAO City's Lee Vann Corteza will clash with Goran Mladenovic of Serbia in Group 12 of the 2007 World Pool Championship which will open at the Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City on Saturday. The Corteza-Mladenovic match-up is set on Sunday in the world's premier 9-ball spectacle that offers a whopping US$100,000 to the champion. Finland's Mika Immonen and USA's Jeremy Jones are also entered in Group 12. Reigning champion Ronato Alcano of Laguna will first test the mettle of Saeed Ahmed Al Mutawa of the United Arab Emirates in Group 1. Efren "Bata" Reyes is in Group 6 while Francisco "Django" Bustamante is in Group 9 along with Antonio Lining. Filipinos Joven Bustamante (Group 4), Pacman International 9-ball champion Jeff de Luna (Group 5), Ramil Gallego (Group 7), Alex Pagulayan (Group 8), Dennis Orcollo (Group 13), Marlon Manalo (Group 14) and Rodolfo Luat (Group 16) are also entered in the event. A total of 128 players from all over the world are seeing action in the tournament that is set to culminate on November 11. Each group consists of eight players who will have to win two successive matches to earn a ticket to the knockout Round of 64. - Sun.Star