Filipino cue artists Orcollo, Biado enter US Open Pool semis

An All-Filipino title showdown in the 2021 US Open Pool Championship could be in the offing after two Pinoy cue artists advanced to the semifinal round on Saturday morning (Manila time).

Dennis Orcollo and Carlo Biado dominated separate foes in the quarterfinal where Orcollo gutted out an 11-7 victory over Max Lechner of Austria. Biado, meanwhile, had a narrow 11-10 win over fellow Filipino representative Johann Gonzales Chua.

The semifinal showdown is slated for Sunday at around 10 a.m. (Manila time) at the Harrah's Resort in Atlantic City where a $50,000 (roughly P2.5 million) is at stake for the ultimate winner.

Orcollo, a two-time SEA Games gold medalist, will battle Aloysius Yapp of Singapore while Biado will clash with Naoyuki Oi of Japan in the semifinals.

The final round is also scheduled for tomorrow at around 3:30 p.m.

The Philippines now has a chance to arrest a 27-year title drought in the contest where the last Filipino to bag the top honors is none other than Efren "Bata" Reyes.

Reyes, 67, won the title back in 1994 when he defeated home bet Nick Varner of the United States. He also emerged as a runner-up for three succeeding years after that historic feat.

—JMB, GMA News