ROBERTO Gomez and Jeff De Luna hurdled women’s billiards legends Kelly Fisher and Allison Fisher, 7-3, to start off the Philippines’ campaign in the 2021 World Cup of Pool at the Stadium MK in Milton Keynes, England.
The Filipino pool artists routed Great Britain-B, the only female pair of the tournament, to start off the competition promoted by Matchroom Sport with a prize fund of $250,000.
Gomez and De Luna, rated No. 10 in the tournament, zoomed to a 5-1 lead in the scotch doubles, winner-break format competition on their way moving to the second round where they will face either the United States duo of Billy Thorpe and Skyler Woodward or the Australia pair of Justin Sajich and Ivan Li.
“The first match is always the tough one,” said Gomez in the postmatch TV interview by Sky Sports.
The Philippines is seeking to win its fourth crown in the tournament with Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes and Francisco ‘Django’ Bustamante taking the inaugural crown in 2006.
The competition has already seen upsets with top-seed defending champion Austria of Mario He and Albin Ouschan bowing to Slovakia’s Jakub Koniar and Jaroslav Polach, 7-1, in the first round.
No. 3 Spain and No. 6 Poland have also crashed out in the first round of the tournament with $60,000 going to the champion pair.
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