UNHERALDED Mark Estiola stunned World Cup semifinalist Mark Magi of Estonia 2-0 (4-3, 4-3) late Tuesday night to lead two other Filipinos into the round-of-32 of the World 10-ball Championship at the Military Zone 7 Indoor Gym in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam.
While his more illustrious compatriots kept falling like flies in the third round of the meet offering $70,000 (about P3.994 million) to the champion, Estiola was cool as a cucumber, upending Magi after two hours and 52 minutes of intense action.
Jeffrey De Luna also reached the next round, crushing hometown bet Phuong Nam Pham 2-1 (4-1, 4-2), while Edmund Faraon whipped Qatari Ali Obaidli 2-0 (4-0, 4-0).
Among the prominent Pinoy casualties was reigning world 9-ball champion Carlo Biado, who led early but eventually lost to Taiwanese Ko Ping-chung 1-2 (4-3, 3-4, 3-3, 4-5).
In a battle of Asian pool giants in their prime, Ko, also a former world 9 and 10-ball king, showed more poise in the riveting match that lasted two hours and 48 minutes.
Also absorbing losses were Jonas Magpantay, Albert James Manas, Lee Van Corteza and Edwin Gamas, who were all fighting for survival in the double elimination tournament late last night.
