2007 Philippines World Pool Championships Underway.
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$400,000 is the purse on offer for 128 of the world's best 9-ball pool players that have descended on Manila in the Philippines this week.
The Arenata Coliseum is the venue, in Metro Manila, where these cueing geniuses take to their stage to try and emulate last years winner Ronato Alcano of the Philippines.
For the first time ever the world pool championships is employing a double elimination format in the group stage. Simply put this means a player must win two matches out of a maximum of three to progress. The matches have also been increased to a race-to-nine with winner breaks format.
The format should mean that the strongest player should advance but as with all form books, they can be torn up during the pinnacle event of the year.
46 countries are represented this year with Stan James making three players the joint favourite. Home grown talents Francisco Bustamante and Ronnie Alcano are joined by 24-year-old US Open winner Shane Van Boening of the USA. All of these players can be backed at 14-1 for the title.
Pool is such an open sport that absolutely anyone of around 60 players could win the title on their day.
Group Results from Day 1
Group 1
Ronnie Alcano
Charlie Williams
Alex Lely
Harald Stolka
No real shocks to report from this group as all of the notable players made it through to the last 64.
Group 3
Vilmos Foldes
Luong Chi-Dung
Wu Chia-Ching
Radoslaw Babica
The big surprise here was that Wu was knocked to the one-loss side by former world jnior champion Vilmos Foldes. Wu did battle back to get through by beating a disappointed Craig Osborne from England.
Group 4
Lui Hui-Chan
Joven Bustamante
Antonio Gabica
Yang Ching-Shun
Jonni Fulcher (UK) lost 9-0 to Yang Ching-Shun in a match to qualify. Yang is the best player to have yet won the WPC. Could this be hi year?
Group 6
Kenichi Uchigaki
Tony Drago
Efren Reyes
Alain Martel
This group contains the surprise package of the event so far in Uchigaki. Coming through the pre-tournament qualifiers nobody had heard of him but he quickly dispatched legend Efren Reyes before beating Alain Martel to top the group.
Group results from Day 2
Group 7
Ramil Gallego
Nick van den Berg
Chan Keng-Kwang
Chang Jung-lin
Group 8
Alex Pagulayan
Muhammad Zulfikri
David Alcaide
Philipp Stojanovic
Pagalayan a former champion made his way through without a struggle - Alcaide I think could be one to watch if the run goes his way.
Group 9
Francisco Bustamante
Oliver Ortmann
Corey Deuel
Pham Tuan Ngoc
Group of death in my opinion, Ortmann a former champion, Bustamante overdue the title by far and then Corey Deuel the most consistent American (other than Van Boening) this year. Couple that with the fat that Antonio Lining did not qualify and there you have it!
Group 12
Mika Immonen
Karl Boyes
Goran Mladenovic
Leevan Corteza
Britains Karl Boyes, who won a qualifier earlier in the year, shows his talent by going through undefeated into the last 64. Also through 2001 champion Mika Immonen.
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