Biado, Pagulayan remain unscathed

WORLD Games gold medalist Carlo Biado and former world champion Alex Pagulayan remained undefeated to advance to the fifth round of the 42nd Annual US Open 9- Ball Championship being held at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel in Norfolk, Virginia in US.

Biado stamped his class over Radoslaw Babica of Poland via an 11- 3 decision while Pagulayan, the 2005 US Open 9- Ball champion, bested compatriot Warren Kiamco, 11- 9, in the tournament sanctioned by the World Pool- Billiard Association.

In the fifth round, Biado will be up against American Billy Thorpe, who defeated Filipino Zoren James Aranas ( 11- 7) while Pagulayan takes on Japanese Naoyuki Oi, an 1110 winner over Chinese Dang Jin Hu.

Kiamco and Aranas were relegated to the losers’ bracket along with 2006 World 9- Ball champion and 2007 World 8- Ball titlist Ronnie Alcano, and Jeffrey De Luna, who also lost their respective fourth- round matches.

Alcano suffered a 7-11 decision to Albanian Klenti Kaci while De Luna also absorbed a 7-11 loss to Taiwanese Ko Ping Chung in the event that has a total prize fund of $200,000 with $40,000 going to the champion.

Meanwhile, Johann Chua and Lee Vann Corteza stayed in hunt after scoring victories in the losers’ bracket.

Chua blasted Khaled Al Otaibi of Saudi Arabia ( 11- 6) while Corteza survived Sayeem Hossain of Bangladesh ( 11- 10).

Chua will be facing American Frankie Hernandez, Corteza will battle Taiwanese Hsu Kai- Lun while two- time world champion Dennis Orcollo takes on Benjie Buckley of Great Britain Kiamco, Aranas, Alcano and De Luna are still awaiting their respective opponents in the one- loss side.

The tournament employs double-elimination format. a