By Jonas Terrado
The Philippines moved a step closer toward arranging an all-local showdown for the gold after its two teams advance to the semifinals of the 30th Southeast Asian Games men’s 9-ball doubles Tuesday night at the Tent City of The Manila Hotel.
Carlo Biado and Johann Chua pose after winning their match against Malaysia 9-2 in the men’s 9-ball doubles of the 30th Southeast Asian Games at the Tent City of the Manila Hotel. (Czar Dancel)
Carlo Biado and Johann Chua opened their campaign with a 9-2 romp of Jken Yung Kok and Almie Muhammad of Malaysia before cruising to a 9-3 win over Indonesia’s Jefry Zen and Afrinneza Nasution Irsal.
Warren Kiamco and Jeffrey Ignacio cruised past Darryl Chia Soo Yew and Ibrahim Bin Amir 9-3 before surviving anxious moments to outlast the Brunei pair ofMurni Ahmad Taufiq and Muhammad Azim Abu Bakar 9-8.
By reaching the last four, the team of Biado and Chua and the Kiamco-Ignacio tandem are assured of at least a bronze medal, though the two teams are setting their sights on making it an all-Pinoy affair for the gold.
Biado and Chua will face defending champion Toh Lian Han and Aloysius Yapp of Singapore while Kiamco and Ignacio take on Aung Moe Thu and Myint Kyaw Phone of Myanmar in the semifinals set 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.
Biado and Chua had little trouble, with the former exhibiting precise pocketing skills that enabled him to win two 9-ball singles and one 9-ball doubles gold in his SEA Games career.
“Masaya kami kasi maganda yung break namin sa umpisa at maganda mga tira namin kaya medyo nakalayo din kami sa kalaban namin,” said Biado.
Kiamco and Ignacio, on the other hand, had to sweat it out against Brunei, twice squandering a two-rack lead.
In fact, Kiamco had a chance to seal the win in the 15th rack but missed the 9-ball on a tough angle to the side pocket. That enabled Brunei to claim the next two racks and set up a hill-hill affair.
The Philippine pair had trouble with its preparation in the last rack, with Kiamco nearly missing the eight ball to the corner, drawing a mixture of cheers and laughter from a group of knowledgable fans.
“Sa dami ng tournament na sinalihan ko, dito ako na-pressure,” Kiamco told the audience that included coach Django Bustamante and female players Iris Ranola and Floriza Andal.
Meanwhile, Michael Angelo Mengorio and Basil Hasan Al Shajjar defeated Indonesia’s Putu Edi Wirawan and Dhency Krhistanto 2-1 in snooker doubles.
Source: Manila Bulletin
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