2006 World Pool Championship

**Isuzoom** · November 12th, 2006 09:32 PM

Originally Posted by resmile

hahaha!!! malamng ipinagdasal din sya ni GMA kaya sya nanalo!

Pero seriously, on the final interview with SOuquet, Anthony Suntay did a great job! And the audience at least showed to the world watching ESPN that the filipino people are civilized ones. (but it would definitely be a different reaction if si Strickland ang nasa lugar ni Souquet).

Strickland is a good actor........................in ****o movies.

**squatt3r** · November 12th, 2006 09:52 PM

Originally Posted by akuma

yahoo... este yehey!! pala...
sana may replay...

congrats kay alcano...
kung si bata kaya nanalo sa match nila?? si bata kaya nag champion??

para na ding si Bata nanalo......bungal din at may bigote si Alcano

**claRkEnt** · November 12th, 2006 10:00 PM

Originally Posted by Isuzoom

Strickland is a good actor........................in ****o movies.

here's a video of what he did last week...meron na pala sa youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lkecRYQDnAw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7EmcM_AzItA

A$$Hol* talaga...

**byker** · November 12th, 2006 10:30 PM

Filipino cue artist - Ronnie Alcano is 2006 World Pool Champion

Filipino Billiard Players put us on top again in the world of sports!

Ronnie "the volcano" Alcano wins the 2006 Wolrd Pool Champion. He overwhelmed Ralf "the kaisser" Soquette in the finlas with his new found weapon of modified "soft break".

In the concluded first ever World Cup of Billiards, the Filipinos also won wherein the tandem of Efren "Bata" Reyes & Django Bustamante (the Filipinos were seeded 1st) convincingly won over 3rd seed Team USA (Earl AStrickland & Morris).

Hats Off to you guys. You make us Pinoys proud!

I hope Manny "Pacman" Pacquiao will bring us anew honor & respect in his 3rd fight against Erick Morales this coming June 19. (Incidentally, the Live Feed Video of this fight is available at SM Cinemas for PhP 500. You can watch a live video of this fight for Php 150 only!)

With the above forgoing, I feel like hitting the pool table again after a hiatus of so many months. If you guys are still up to the challenge, just bring San Mig lights to my den. Please refer to this thread :http://www.motorcyclephilippines.com...ad.php?t=48721

**explorer** · November 13th, 2006 02:16 AM

it's good to see new filipino faces in the world pool games...this assures philippines of more champions to come. thanks to local big companies that continue to develop ('search' probably is the right word) the new but best players by sponsoring the local games.

**swimstroke** · November 13th, 2006 02:57 AM

As expected, mas mabigat ang tinira ni Alcano. Tama, sana dumami pa ang young talents para hindi tayo masapawan ng Taipei. Hehe. :D

**explorer** · November 13th, 2006 03:39 AM

Alcano is the new king of pool

By Musong R. Castillo
Inquirer
Last updated 09:36pm (Mla time) 11/12/2006

(UPDATE) Ronnie Alcano became the newest toast of Philippine sports last night.

Playing with class, Alcano overwhelmed Germany's Ralf Souquet, 17-11, in a marathon match he dominated from the start to win the World Pool Championship at the PICC in Pasay City.

“The way he played, he deserves to win this year,” Souquet, the 1996 champion, said as he congratulated the new Filipino hero who beat the best on the way to the title, including Efren “Bata” Reyes and prodigious defending champion Wu Chia-ching of Taiwan.

It was Reyes who brought the country’s billiards mastery to the fore when he ruled the 1999 WPC in Cardiff, Wales, but Alcano’s triumph was nothing short of dramatic since he was the last to make it to the 64-man knockout phase after winning only one of his three qualifying matches.

The win was worth $100,000 for the 34-year-old Alcano, who also eliminated Reyes in the Philippine 9-Ball Open last month and showed his worth by winning two gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games last year in the 15-ball rotation singles and doubles with Leonardo Andam.

The partisan crowd of Filipino fans acknowledged the effort of Souquet by chanting his name when he said during the post-match interview that he would love to compete in the World Pool again and win it--in the Philippines.

“I feel pure frustration right now,” Souquet said in the press room later.

Souquet did crack--in the awarding later on--his head bowed in defeat and eyes welling with tears. “I thought that sooner or later things would change (in my favor), the match being race-to-17. But it just didn't happen because he (Alcano) totally outplayed me out there.”

A confessed offensive-minded player, the 34-year-old Alcano was sucked into a defensive battle as early as the first rack.

And the lanky Filipino, who plays basketball for money in breaks between pool events, was only willing to oblige, actually coming up with some of the best safety shots of the tournaments that basically got Souquet dumbfounded.

Alcano, who employed the soft break starting his third match in the elimination phase, raced to leads of as many as seven racks several time, but kept his nerves in check before raising both hands in a sign of triumph after a 1-9 combination in the 28th rack.

Alcano's victory was the second for the Philippines in the history of the event after Reyes' 1999 triumph in Cardiff, Wales, which actually ignited a boom in the sport in the country to give local organizers the idea of hosting this event.

Despite a poker face that tried to hide his nerves, Alcano showed a lot of it in the 25th rack, when he missed taking the hill by flubbing a long, yet easy shot on the No. 9 that allowed Souquet to go to double digits, 15-10.

He immediately bounced back from that unforced error with what could go down as the shot of the nine-day tournament, nailing down the No. 4 with a kick off the side rail to avoid the No. 9 for a 16-10 lead that worked the crowd into a frenzy.

And just after the crowd had started chanting “Ronnie! Ronnie! Ronnie!” Souquet answered with a golden break, which, if at all, only cut down the German's agonizing wait for the inevitable by putting Alcano back in the table to break for the final time.

The event, which drew entries from 42 total countries with the Philippines sending the most number of players into the main draw with 21, saw its most lopsided title match in the last six years.

Two-time winner Fong Pang-chao of Taiwan, who was ousted in the quarterfinals this year, posted a 17-6 victory over Ismael Paez in 2000 in Cardiff, Wales.

But Alcano's version of this blowout is considered to be tougher by leaps and bounds compared to Fong's, with the 2000 edition using the winner's break format and this tournament employing alternate break for the first time.

Both players struggled with the pace of the table early, but none greater than the German, as Alcano raced to a 3-0 lead despite not displaying the most perfect of forms.

Souquet, the 1996 champion and losing finalist six years later in Cardiff, Wales, lost in his first two breaks, a glaring error coming in the third rack when he overcooked his preparation, stopping the cue ball literally kissing the green 6.

Nicknamed “Kaiser, (the title of the German emperors, derived from Caesar)” Souquet fell to 1-4 down after losing the fifth rack, which he broke, when he blinked first in a classic battle of safety shots.

“I'll definitely be back here, in Manila, to play in the World Championship,” the 37-year-old Souquet said. “Winning here would be the most perfect thing, because there are so many great pool players here.”

**explorer** · November 13th, 2006 03:42 AM

Filipino rules World Pool

Alcano outplays foe to win crown, P5M

By Musong R. Castillo
Inquirer
Last updated 01:56am (Mla time) 11/13/2006

Published on page A1 of the November 13, 2006 issue of the Philippine Daily Inquirer

THE LAST shall be first. With that Ronato “Ronnie” Alcano became the newest toast of Philippine sports last night.

Playing with so much class, Alcano overwhelmed Germany’s Ralf Souquet, 17-11, in a marathon match he dominated from the start to win the World Pool Championship (WPC) at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

Alcano, who made the knockout phase at the bottom of the draw after winning just one match in the eliminations, zoomed ahead quickly, taking the first three racks, four of the first five, and eight of the first 10 to dictate the pace and put up the buffer he aimed for before the match.

“I knew that if I led by three (racks) early, he (Souquet) would have a hard time catching up with me,” Alcano said in Filipino, his handsome trophy beside him.

“When it (lead) became six (racks, 11-5), I knew at that time that I had him.”

The win was worth $100,000 (around P5 million) for the 34-year-old Alcano, who eliminated Efren “Bata” Reyes in the Philippine 9-Ball Open last month and showed his mettle by winning two gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games last year in the 15-ball rotation singles and doubles with Leonardo Andam.

It was Reyes who brought the country’s billiards mastery to the fore when he ruled the 1999 WPC in Cardiff, Wales, but Alcano’s triumph was nothing short of dramatic since he was the last to make it to the 64-man knockout phase after winning only one of his three qualifying matches.

While Alcano nailed the shots that he needed to and executed traps which he had visualized, Souquet was struggling, although the German kept on digging in the trenches in hopes of turning things around.

Souquet did crack -- in the awarding ceremony later -- his head bowed in defeat and eyes welling with tears, as he congratulated the new Filipino hero who beat the best on the way to the title, including Reyes and prodigious defending champion Wu Chia-ching of Taiwan.

‘Totally outplayed’

“The way he played, he deserves to win this year,” said Souquet, the 1996 champion. “I feel pure frustration right now,” he said in the press room later.

“I thought that sooner or later things would change (in my favor), the match being race-to-17. But it just didn’t happen because he (Alcano) totally outplayed me out there.”

On the way to glory, Alcano toppled three world champions -- Souquet (champion in 1996), Reyes (1999) and Wu (2005).

Playing in his third WPC, Alcano started his charge in the Last 64 with a 10-1 rout of compatriot Roberto Gomez. He ousted Reyes in the Last 32, 10-7, toppled last year’s runner-up Kuo Po-cheng of Taiwan, 11-5, in the Last 16 before knocking off Wu, 11-6, in the quarterfinals.

Alcano made it to the championship duel with an 11-8 rout of China’s Li Hewen even as Souquet advanced with a nail-biting 11-10 decision over Taiwan’s Fu Che-wei in the other semifinal match on Saturday.

Offensive-minded

An offensive-minded player, Alcano was sucked into a defensive battle as early as the first rack.

But the Filipino, who plays basketball for money in breaks between pool events, was only willing to oblige, coming up with some of the best safety shots of the tournament that basically dumbfounded Souquet.

Alcano, who employed the soft break starting in his third match in the elimination phase, raced to leads of as many as seven racks several times, but kept his nerves in check before raising both hands in a sign of triumph after a 1-9 combination in the 28th rack.

The clinching shot came after a foul shot by Souquet, who committed a lot of errors in the match.

Although he tried to hide his nerves, Alcano showed a lot of it in the 25th rack, when he missed taking the hill by flubbing a long, yet easy shot on the No. 9 that allowed Souquet to move to within 15-10.

But the Filipino immediately bounced back from that unforced error with what could go down as the shot of the nine-day tournament, nailing down the No. 4 with a kick off the side rail to avoid the No. 9 for a 16-10 lead that worked the crowd into a frenzy.

“There are no sure shots in pool,” Alcano later said.

And just after the crowd had started chanting “Ronnie! Ronnie! Ronnie!” Souquet answered with a golden break which, if at all, only cut down the German’s agonizing wait for the inevitable by putting Alcano back on the table to break for the final time.

Most lopsided title match

The event, which drew entries from 42 countries with the Philippines sending the most number of players into the main draw with 21, saw its most lopsided title match in the last six years.

Two-time winner Fong Pang-chao of Taiwan, who was ousted in the quarterfinals this year, posted a 17-6 victory over Ismael Paez in 2000 in Cardiff.

“I’ll definitely be back here to play in the World Championship next year,” said the 37-year-old Souquet, nicknamed “Kaiser,” a German word meaning “chief of kings.”

“Winning here would be the most perfect thing, because there are so many great pool players here.”

Mayor Joaquin M. Chipeco Jr. of Calamba said the victory of Alcano, a native of Calamba City in Laguna province, proved that “every Filipino athlete, given the proper training and motivation, can excel in the highly competitive sports arena worldwide.”

**CVT** · November 13th, 2006 07:42 AM

Bigyan lang talaga ng magandang training, exposure at opportunity ang mga Pinoy,- ipapakita nilang sila ay world class at isa sa pinakamagaling sa mundo!

Congratulations Ronnie Alcano! You made our country proud again!

Ikaw at iba nating mga atleta at ang milyon nating mga Pinoy na OFWs ang mga tunay na bayani ng bansa! (Hindi po ako nagtatrabaho sa gobyerno o pulitiko.... isang ordinaryong Pinoy lang ako

)

:starwars:

**artpogi** · November 13th, 2006 07:54 AM

saw the match last night, husay ni Alcano, cool na cool.

Another Pinoy billiard great in the making.

yep, have to agree about the sponsors, especially Puyat, they did a great job in supporting deserving Pinoy cue artists.