Ronato Alcano beats Lee Vann Corteza in Pattaya 9-Ball final

RONATO "VOLCANO" Alcano turned back compatriot Lee Vann "The Slayer" Corteza, 11-7, in an-all Filipino finals to rule the 2010 Sangsom Pattaya 9-Ball Invitational Pool Competition at the Royal Garden Plaza in Pattaya, Thailand, on Sunday.

Ronato "Volcano" Alcano

"Winning a tournament wherein you have to compete against some of the world’s best players is a very big accomplishment, and I’m very happy for this win," said the lanky cue artist Alcano, top player of Perry Mariano’s Bugsy Promotions.

"I prayed hard to win this crown for my countrymen as well as for my boss Perry and Verna Mariano who have been helping me compete abroad," added Alcano.

"Magaling na bata yan (Ronato Alcano) pero makikita nyo ang pinadadala ng Taiwan mga 15 years old. Tayo 56 at 30 plus. Pag di nakinig ang mga kinauukulan goodbye ang bilyar," said Mariano, founder of the newly formed National Collegiate Billiards League (NCBL).
It was Alcano’s first major title this year. He won the 8-ball division of the Galveston Classic Billiards Extravaganza at the Moody Gardens Hotel and Convention Center in Galveston City, Texas, last year.
Alcano became the third player in pool history to become a double world champion after winning the World 8-Ball in Fujairah, United Arab Emirates, three years ago, and beating Ralf "Kaiser" Souquet of Germany for the World 9-Ball tiara in 2007 here in Manila.

Alcano, a member of the Billiards Managers and Players Association of the Philippines and Sen. Manny Villar’s Team Villards, started strong in his titular match against Corteza, quickly racing to a 4-0 lead.
Corteza rallied but Alcano staved off Corteza’s charge, taking the lead, 7-6, in the 13^th frame.

Corteza, top player of Jonathan Sy’s Negros Billiards Stable, however, bounced back by winning the 14^th frame to even the count at 7-all. The 31-year-old Davao City native Corteza suffered a scratch in the 15^th frame, allowing Alcano to clean up the table. Alcano never looked back after that, winning the last three racks for an 11-7 triumph in the race-to-11, winner breaks format.

On the road to the finals, Corteza outclassed Liu Hui Chang of Chinese-Taipei, 10-4, in the semifinals.
Alcano, on the other hand, needed to beat fellow Bugsy Promotions ace Dennis "Robocop" Orcullo, 10-3, to earn the last finals berth and arrange an all-Filipino titular with Corteza.

With the win, Alcano received 300,000 baht. Corteza pocketed the runner-up purse of 50,000 baht while losing semifinalists Orcullo and Liu went home with 30,000 baht each. -- Marlon Bernardino