By KRISTEL SATUMBAGA
Eight Filipinos, led by reigning world pool champion Carlo Biado, scored back-to-back victories at the start of the Florida Open Pool Championship at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando on Tuesday, Aug. 5
Biado flexed his might early by routing local bet Sam Henderson, 9-3, and Dutch Quinten Pongers, 9-4, to jumpstart his title bid in the tournament that offers a total prize fund of $200,000 (around P11.4 million).
World pool championship semifinalist Bernie Regalario also made his title campaign felt with victories over Singapore’s Toh Lian Han, 9-2, and Chinese Taipei’s Chang Yi, 9-4, even as 2023 World Cup of Pool winner Johann Chua crushed American Rick Miller, 9-0, and Bulgarian Kristian Dimitrov, 9-2.
World pool championship quarterfinalist Jefrey Roda dominated India’s Yash Ajmera, 9-4, and local bet Eric Roberts, 9-3; Roland Garcia first blanked Daniel Sanchez, 9-0, before surviving Payne Mcbride, 9-8; and Patric Gonzales thumped Americans Elvis Rodriguez, 9-3, and Tommy Tokoph, 9-2.
Not to be left out were Marvin Asis, who toppled Landon Hollingsworth, 9-4, and Finland’s Jani Siekkinen, 9-7; and Michael Baoanan, who dismantled Erick Poveda, 9-1, and Ken Bradley, 9-3.
They need one more wins to advance to the knockout round.
Roberto Gomez and Harry Vergara also won their first-round assignments, but yielded to Hong Kong’s Robbie Capito, 9-6, and Finland’s Petri Makkonen, 9-8.
The two were relegated to the loser’s bracket along with Mark Muir and Miguel Salvilla, who lost their first matches to Indonesia’s Edward Koyongian, 9-0, and Netherlands’ Marc Bijsterbosch, 9-4, respectively.
Lee Vann Corteza, coming off an impressive win in the Virginia tournament, blanked Charles Seeger, 9-0, and is scheduled to face Yohan Sanchez in the second round.
