On top of the world: Lining now No 1 player
REY JOBLE, GMA News
04/12/2011 |Antonio Lining of the Philippines is now the world’s No.1 player.
The grizzled veteran attained this status following his solid showing in the just-concluded Philippine Open Pool Championship at the SM Megamall.
Lining’s ascension to No.1 was confirmed by no less than Ian Anderson, the president of the World Pool-Billiard Association.
“For making it to the semifinal round, Lining is expected to overtake Francisco 'Django' Bustamante as the world’s No.1 player," Anderson told sportswriters during the last day of the event.
According to Anderson, the champion of the Philippine Open will get 500 ranking points. The second placer will get 400, while the semifinalists are likely to get around 320 to 300.
Lining, part of the Philippine men’s doubles team that won the gold medal in the 2002 Busan Asian Games along with Bustamante, is expected to gain at least 300 points.
Prior to this latest campaign, Lining had a total of 1210 points, only 82 points behind Bustamanate, who didn’t play in the WPA event.
Lining’s climb to the top spot came even after he lost badly to eventual runner-up Ralf Souquet of Germany, 9-0, in their crossover semifinals match.
“First time ko yung maging No.1. Sayang nga lang medyo hindi tayo pinalad sa Philippine Open. Nangyayari talaga yung ganung klaseng talo," said Lining, referring to the wipe-out he suffered against Souquet.
Lining has been a consistent performer the past few years. He also made it as far as the semifinal round of the World Ten Ball Championship in 2009 in Manila and the World 9-Ball Championship in Qatar last year, apart from finishing in the top five of the 2010 China Open and World 8-Ball this year.
Orcullo, the newly-crowned World 8-Ball champion, made it as far as the quarterfinal round, and is thus also expected to surpass Bustamante and end up as No. 2.
The former World No.1 player who's considered as one of the best money-game players in the pool circuit had 1080 points, 212 points behind Bustamante.
Meanwhile, Anderson announced that the WPA is going to hold a three-day tournament in the Philippines before the start of the World Ten Ball Championship.
“We have no name for the tournament at this time, but we simply call it as a gap tournament," said Anderson. “It will be held at the Star Billiards Center in Quezon City."
The Star Billiards Center is home to the qualifying events for the Philippine Open and the World Ten Ball Championship.
The “gap tournament" will be held after the Beijing Open, another ranking tour event which will see the participation of the world’s best players.
“This will be good because after Beijing, they will be back in Manila, so we are preparing for some sort of a short tournament that can be a fitting preparation for the World Ten Ball Championship," added Anderson.
The World Ten Ball Championship is slated May 9-15 at the World Trade Center in Manila. The qualifying stage matches will be on May 3-7 at the Star Billiards. - KY, GMA News
The grizzled veteran attained this status following his solid showing in the just-concluded Philippine Open Pool Championship at the SM Megamall.
Lining’s ascension to No.1 was confirmed by no less than Ian Anderson, the president of the World Pool-Billiard Association.
“For making it to the semifinal round, Lining is expected to overtake Francisco 'Django' Bustamante as the world’s No.1 player," Anderson told sportswriters during the last day of the event.
According to Anderson, the champion of the Philippine Open will get 500 ranking points. The second placer will get 400, while the semifinalists are likely to get around 320 to 300.
Lining, part of the Philippine men’s doubles team that won the gold medal in the 2002 Busan Asian Games along with Bustamante, is expected to gain at least 300 points.
Prior to this latest campaign, Lining had a total of 1210 points, only 82 points behind Bustamanate, who didn’t play in the WPA event.
Lining’s climb to the top spot came even after he lost badly to eventual runner-up Ralf Souquet of Germany, 9-0, in their crossover semifinals match.
“First time ko yung maging No.1. Sayang nga lang medyo hindi tayo pinalad sa Philippine Open. Nangyayari talaga yung ganung klaseng talo," said Lining, referring to the wipe-out he suffered against Souquet.
Lining has been a consistent performer the past few years. He also made it as far as the semifinal round of the World Ten Ball Championship in 2009 in Manila and the World 9-Ball Championship in Qatar last year, apart from finishing in the top five of the 2010 China Open and World 8-Ball this year.
Orcullo, the newly-crowned World 8-Ball champion, made it as far as the quarterfinal round, and is thus also expected to surpass Bustamante and end up as No. 2.
The former World No.1 player who's considered as one of the best money-game players in the pool circuit had 1080 points, 212 points behind Bustamante.
Meanwhile, Anderson announced that the WPA is going to hold a three-day tournament in the Philippines before the start of the World Ten Ball Championship.
“We have no name for the tournament at this time, but we simply call it as a gap tournament," said Anderson. “It will be held at the Star Billiards Center in Quezon City."
The Star Billiards Center is home to the qualifying events for the Philippine Open and the World Ten Ball Championship.
The “gap tournament" will be held after the Beijing Open, another ranking tour event which will see the participation of the world’s best players.
“This will be good because after Beijing, they will be back in Manila, so we are preparing for some sort of a short tournament that can be a fitting preparation for the World Ten Ball Championship," added Anderson.
The World Ten Ball Championship is slated May 9-15 at the World Trade Center in Manila. The qualifying stage matches will be on May 3-7 at the Star Billiards. - KY, GMA News
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