

FILE — Carlo Biado. Photo from Matchroom Pool
Carlo Biado and Johann Chua and 10 fellow Filipino cue artists reached the knockout stage through different paths in the World Pool Championship in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Biado downed compatriot Lee Van Corteza, 9-4, while Chua beat Oliver Szolnoki, 9-3, to punch their tickets into the round-of-64 of the prestigious 9-ball competition.
READ: Filipinos off to winning start in World Pool Championship
They made it through after posting their second win in as many matches, along with Roland Garcia, Marvin Asis, Jefrey Roda, Anton Raga, Bernie Regalario, James Aranas, Jeffrey Ignacio and AJ Manas.
Garcia won over Ameer Ali, 9-7, Asis took down Dimitris Loukatos, 9-3, Roda got past Mustafa Alnar, 9-4, Raga trounced Mohammad Soufi, 9-5, while Regalario overcame fancied Ko Pin Yi, 9-6.
Aranas stunned two-time winner Albin Ouschan, 9-5,
Ignacio nipped fellow Filipino Michael Baoanan, 9-8, and Manas outlasted Aloysius Yapp, 9-6.
Michael Feliciano and Patric Gonzales also advanced to the last 64, albeit through the loser’s bracket.
Feliciano bounced back from losing to Sanjin Pehlivanovic, 9-2, by being victorious over Stefan Kasper, 9-8, while Gonzales recovered from a setback at the hands of Ko Ping Chung, 9-5, by dominating Ko Ping Han, 9-1.
The knockout stage began as of posting time with the Philippine pool players hoping to end the country’s eight-year drought in the tournament.