Double Joy For Pinoy Billiard Hopes

Double Joy For Pinoy Billiard HopesPinoy newcomer Jeffrey ‘Bata’ De Luna upset the applecart at the PICC as last 64 play continued on day five of the 2006 Philippines World Pool Championship.He took down fancied Dutchman Nick van den Berg in a 10-8 thriller to book a place in Round Three where he will play either Vincent Facquet or Lee Kun-fang and becomes the first of a 12 strong Filipino contingent to make it through to the last 32.Discuss the 2006 Philippines World Pool ChampionshipFor De Luna, revenge was sweet after van den Berg KO’d his stablemate Gandy Valle from the competition on Tuesday night as the group stages concluded.
The 22 year-old from Pasig City looks a compact player and he carries the swagger of a young Bustamante. Schooled in the gambling culture of Filipino pool, De Luna is making his World Pool Championship debut and will certainly be delighted with his performances so far.The match itself was nip and tuck throughout. De Luna (pictured right) led 4-2 and then 8-6 but van den Berg stuck with him and at 8-8 the match was anyone’s.A critical miss in the 17th game from the Dutchman, handed the initiative to De Luna and he cleared to reach the hill. The final rack saw the Filipino take what was an eternity to pocket the 6, 8 and 9 but he composed himself to record the biggest win of his career to date.“There was a lot of pressure as this was my first time in the World Championship but I’m pleased with the way I’m playing,” he said afterwards.There was more Filipino joy on Table 3 as unknown Jharome Pena moved forward at the expense of Australia's lone hope Louis Condo by 10-7.Pena’s progress in the Championship seems to have a touch of destiny about it. He only made it through to the starting line-up as fourth alternate from the qualifying school and made the last 64 as one of only two players to come through with just a single win.Pena now faces Steve Davis or Fabio Petroni and will surely relish the opportunity against either of them.

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