By MARK REY MONTEJO
Francisco “Django” Bustamante and Mark Estiola regained their winning ways after edging their respective rivals to keep their title bids alive in the 2025 Las Vegas 10-Ball Open at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino on Saturday, Feb. 22 (Philippine time).
Still reeling from a 4-2, 4-3 loss to Germany’s Ralf Soquet that relegated him to the losers’ bracket, the 61-year-old Bustamante immediately picked his old form back and downed Canada’s Ericson Vargas, 4-0, 4-3, to stay in contention in this 128-player field event.
The victory arranged the 2002 Asian Games champion an interesting showdown with another Canadian in Randal Bagot to keep his bid alive.
Estiola, for his part, routed American Shane Winters, 4-0, 4-1, to set up a faceoff with another American in Tony Chohan.
Like Bustamante, Estiola was also relegated to the losers’ qualification after yielding to Fil-Canadian Alex Pagulayan, 4-2, 4-2.
Meanwhile, Roberto Gomez and Jeff De Luna posted contrasting victories to remain in contention in the $125,000 event.
Gomez had to dig deep to survive Norway’s Emil Gangflot, 4-2, 3-4, 4-3, while De Luna nipped Another American Tim Tonjum, 4-0, 4-2.
With their triumphs, Gomez and De Luna will next face Polish opponents, Daniel Maciol and Mateusz Sniegocki, respectively.
