Philippines Billiards Team Move into Final Four

Philippines Billiards Team Move into Final FourThe Phillipines billiard team were made to fight all the way but did enough to become the final team to reach the semi-finals at the PartyPoker.com World Cup of Pool.The number one seeds raced into an early 3-0 lead against unseeded Czech Republic but then only won one of the next seven racks as the Czechs gained a 6-4 advantage.Who do you think will win? Discuss World Cup of Pool here. View the World Cup of Pool Tournament BracketsHowever, the Filipino duo of Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante showed their mental strength to win the next five to clinch the win at 9-6 and set up a semi-final clash against Germany.
“This was a scary match for us,” said Bustamante. “We got 3-0 ahead then they came back and they beat us four times in a row then it was 5-4 and 6-4.“But it’s a race to nine and everybody can win. It’s very important that we played badly but still won - I broke four times and never had a shot.”Reyes added: “Tomorrow we play Germany and they are good players and a very strong team so we need some luck.”Philippines won the lag but had no clear shot although it was not long before they were back at the table with ball in hand. Roman Hybler scratched while attempting a jump shot on the 1-ball and Reyes sunk the 9-ball for a 1-0 lead.It soon became 2-0 as Czech Republic immediately had a battle on their hands and when Reyes pocketed the 9-ball for 3-0 the game looked over before it had begun.Philippines had thrashed Malta 9-0 in the first round in the only whitewash of the tournament so far and Czech Republic would have already been fearing a similar outcome.But that threat was averted in the fourth as Gavenciak stemmed the tide by getting on the scoreboard to make the scoreline 3-1 after they had broke.Reyes made Philippines ’ first mistake of the match in the fifth rack when an attempted bank on the blue two left it in the open and the Filipino duo stayed in their seats as Gavenciak remained calm to pot the 9-ball to claim the Czech Republic ’s second successive rack.Another error from Reyes in the next, when a poor safety attempt enabled Gavenciak to slide the 1-ball down the bottom rail, was fully punished and after looking in complete control, Philippines had lost their third rack in a row as the match was level at 3-3.But the run should have ended when Bustamante laid a snooker and Hybler hit the centre pocket knuckle to give Philippines ball in hand. However, Bustamante missed his attempt to roll the black 8 down a side rail and Hybler finished the rack off as Czech Republic moved from 0-3 down to 4-3 ahead.However, it was all square again as it became 4-4 after Gavenciak had scratched on a shot at the red 3. An over ambitious long pot on the pink 4 by Gavenciak in rack nine should have been punished but Bustamante overcut his attempt on the same ball as the Czechs moved back in front and took another step closer to recording a huge upset.That prospect grew even larger as the Europeans broke and ran through the next to leave the number one seeds 6-4 behind.Philippines claimed the 11th and Gavenciak handed the Filipino duo a golden chance to make it 6-6 when he fired the cue ball off the table from the break, which they gratefully accepted.With the break in the next, Philippines should have moved ahead but Reyes missed the 1-ball although it did not prove critical as Hybler later missed the green six as the pressure started to show and Bustamante and Reyes took the rack.For the first time since the early stages, Philippines had regained the lead as they went 7-6 in front before Gavenciak left the blue two in the open in the 14th rack and Bustamante sunk the 9-ball as Philippines got to the hill.They clinched the next rack to move into the last four although they will have to perform better against Germany in tomorrow’s semi-final.

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