CARLO Biado, Johann Chua and Jeffrey Ignacio advanced to the round of 32 of the 2019 World 9-Ball Championship in Doha, Qatar.
Biado, the 2017 champion and 2018 runner-up, beat Bashar Hussain of Qatar, 11-10.
Chua upended Enrique Rojas of Chile, 11-5, in the first session of the round of 64 to set the tone for the Filipinos in the competition.
Ignacio, who like Biado and Chua are also coming off a stint in the 30th Southeast Asian Games, downed Stephen Holem of Canada, 11-6.
Biado will face Billy Thorpe of Canada, while Chua will take on Naoyuki Oi of Japan in the last 32. Ignacio goes up against Ko Pin Yi of Chinese Taipei in the next round.
The race to the crown has become wide open after the loss of 2018 champion Joshua Filler of Germany, who was eliminated by Casper Matikainen of Finland, 11-7, in the round of 64.
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