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RESULTS: USA 8-5 INDONESIA, PHILIPPINES B 8-5 ITALY
DEFENDING CHAMPIONS Team USA became the first side through to the quarter-finals of the 2009 PartyCasino.net World Cup of Pool at the SM Mall North Annex in Manila, as the pairing of Rodney Morris and Shane Van Boening held off a plucky Indonesian team 8-5.
The Americans always held the upper hand but Indonesia, made up of the smiling and laughing Muhammad Simanjuntuak and the more straight faced Muhammad Zulfikri, gave it a good go.
Filipino legends Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante felt the force of expectation as they lined up for their round two showdown with Team Italy (Fabio Petroni and Bruno Muratore).
With upwards of 1,000 people hanging from the rafters to catch a view of their idols, the atmosphere was electric as both sets of players were introduced into the arena.
They were not disappointed as the home boys won 8-5 in a match that swung on a call by referee Cielo Lopez in the 11th rack. The Italians were looking good to comeback at 6-4 down but the ref called a foul on Muratore, claiming the hair on his arm touched the 6 ball. It helped the Philippines regain the momentum and they went on to close out the win.
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QUOTES: FRANCISCO BUSTAMANTE (PHILIPPINES): "Hopefully it doesn't matter who we play next but me and Efren have lots of pressure everytime we miss a ball or make a mistake.
"Efren is waiting for me to play well and when he plays badly, I play badly."
8.47pm: The incident is clearly playing on Muratore's mind and he scratches in the next rack. That is the last time Italy have a shot in the competition as Philippines win the rack to win the match and move into the quarter-finals.
8.43pm: Italy get back in the match in the next rack and seal the next rack for 7-5. But the controversy is not finished as Muratore speaks to head referee Michaela Tabb during the break between racks.
8.39pm: Petroni comes up dry from his break shot but a bad miss from Bustamante brings Italy to the table. But there is controversy as Muratore is judged to have touched the 6-ball with his arm. The television replays do not prove conclusive as his arm is very close to the ball, but it is unclear whether the ball moved. Philippines B are not concerned though as they move to the hill and the score is 7-4.
8.35pm: The Italians get to the table in the tenth rack and have a bit of luck as Petroni still pots the 1-ball despite a poor contact. A fine shot from Muratore to pot the 2-ball and split up the 3-ball from the 9-ball gets the Europeans back on track.
8.27pm: A loose safety shot from Fabio Petroni proves to be the pivotal moment in the next rack and Philippines never look in trouble as Reyes pockets the 9-ball and takes his country one rack closer to the quarter-finals.
8.23pm: Reyes comes up with a dry break in the eighth rack and then scratches. Muratore, using the rest, pots the 9-ball, albeit a bit fortunately and the score is now 5-3 to Philippines B.
8.17pm: Reyes makes another mistake in the next as he misses and Bustamante then does likewise but gets lucky as the cue ball sneaks behind the 7-ball. A massive slice of fortune for the hosts and they later recover to move three ahead, the biggest lead they have had today.
8.13pm: They should have done but Muratore miscues when faced with a straight-forward 8-ball and Philippines race two ahead. If the match goes against Italy then that shot could prove to be critical. Instead of it being 3-3 as it should have been, it becomes 4-2 to Philippines B.
8.10pm: It's turning into a match to forget for Reyes as his dry break in the fourth brings Italy back in play. The 9-ball is hovering close to the pocket as well so Italy have a great chance to make things level again.
8.05pm: Fabio Petroni's break comes up dry and Muratore narrowly misses out on a combination shot that would have won the rack for Italy. Instead, Reyes made a confidence-boosting bank on the red 3 and that helps the Philippines B team regain the lead by 3-2.
8pm: Reyes again leaves his partner in trouble in the fourth as he loses position with only two balls remaining. Bustamante misses a hugely difficult 8-ball and Italy leap up to pot the 8-ball and the 9-ball to tie the score at 2-2.
7.54pm: It is smooth sailing for the hosts until Reyes overhits the pot from the 8 to the 9 and sits down looking annoyed. But Bustamante copes with the situation well and banks the 9-ball into the pocket as his country take a 2-1 lead.
7.51pm: Muratore leaves a full ball view on the 1-ball and Reyes sinks it as Philippines B go hunting for a lead.
7.50pm Reyes' break at the start of the third is a legal one but the 1-ball is tight on the side rail so Bustamante has to play safe.
7.47pm: Bustamante ties the scores at one each by pocketing the 9-ball. Every match of the competition has been well attended in the pool-mad Philippines but the largest crowd so far is probably tonight. There is not a single seat available with people sitting and standing from every vantage point on the upstairs balcony. Reyes and Bustamante will be hoping they do not disappoint their loyal supporters.
7.43pm: Muratore makes a legal break for Italy but with the 1-ball hidden behind both the 3 and 7 balls Petroni has to push out. Reyes continues his unsteady start to the match by scratching and then leaving a long pot on at the 1-ball with his next shot. But the error goes unpunishes as Muratore misses on the same ball and leaves a chance for Philippines.
7.38pm: It's a poor start for the hosts as Reyes is unsuccessful when trying to down the 7-ball. He nearly gets lucky as the ball rolls along the rail and nearly into the opposite pocket, but it stays out and Italy take the lead shortly afterwards.
7.37pm: The second match of the last session on day three sees the local heroes of Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante meet Italians Fabio Petroni and Bruno Muratore.
QUOTES: RODNEY MORRIS (USA): "I'm dogging it at the moment right now as I'm not spending enough time at the table so I need to practise more. I would rather not play against Mika Immonen in the next round because he is a good friend but China are solid guys.
"Whatever comes out of the bracket will be very tough but we will be ready for them. Mika has his eyes on the final in every tournament he plays in so it will be interesting if we play Finland."
7.23pm: It's all over. USA are victorious. Morris sinks the 9-ball and the holders are safely through into the quarter-finals. But they had to work hard against a plucky Indonesian side, before the quality of America eventually told. USA will now play either Finland or China in the last eight.
7.18pm: A dry break from Simanjuntuak comes at a disastrous time for Indonesia and that could see them eliminated.
7.15pm: Morris is in trouble in the 12th as he tries to pocket the 1-ball but watches on as the cue ball disappears, while the 1-ball stays on the table. Indonesia, who came into the tournament as late replacements instead of Brunei, are performing admirably and still have a chance of a memorable victory. The screen in the arena now shows the score as USA 7, Indonesia 5.
7.10pm: Simanjuntak is at the table and tries a thin cut on the green 6 but is left shaking his head back to his seat as his effort stays out. USA move to the hill as a result
7.04pm: Things go wrong for USA right at the start of the tenth as Morris watches on in dismay as the cue ball runs into the side pocket. With ball-in-hand, Indonesia force USA to sit and watch as the scoreline ticks over to 6-4.
7.01pm: Indonesia have a chance in the ninth but Zulfikri's jump shot on the 5-ball means America have possession again. They inch closer to the finish line and now lead 6-3.
6.57pm A foul by Simanjuntuak in the next gives USA ball-in-hand and they use it well as they move two ahead, closing in on their victory target of eight.
6.53pm: USA claim the sixth to lead 4-2 but Indonesia pounce in the next when Morris misses the 1-ball and the deficit is reduced to one.
6.50pm: Zulfikri misses the 2-ball but a Morris foul proves critical and Indonesia win their second in a row.
6.39pm Indonesia claim their first rack of the day after a poor positional shot from Van Boening forces Morris to play safe. Zulfikri later misses the red 3 before Morris misses the green 6. Simanjuntuak banks the 8-ball and that enables Zulfikri to down the 9-ball.
6.34pm: It becomes 3-0 and is a very impressive start from Rodney Morris and Shane Van Boening.
6.30pm: Simanjuntuak scratches in the second rack and America take advantage to lead 2-0.
6.21pm: Muhammad Bewi Simanjuntuak and Muhammad Zulfikri were the Indonesian team but would have to wait for their first chance after Van Boening won the lag. The same player misses the red 3 but then atones for his error by banking the 8-ball as America take the lead.
6.15pm: The third session of the third day begins with defending champions USA in action against Indonesia. America defeated Malta 8-7 in the first round, while India triumphed over India.
