DJANGO, ORCOLLO CLOSES IN ON POOL CROWN

"The road to the 2008 PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool crown goes through us."

This was the chilling message that Django Bustamante and Dennis Orcollo sent out to the remaining three teams in the semifinal round after the Pinoy pair dismantled the Asian Games champions from Japan by a score of 9-2.

This marked the third time Bustamante and Orcollo have won in such overwhelming fashion, first crushing Denmark by a score of 9-2 then destroying Russia by a score of 9-3.

The second seeded pair now face the American duo of Shane Van boening and Rodney Morriswhile top seed China battles 5th seed England.

PAGULAYAN WINS GUINNESS LEG OVER ORCOLLO!

I guess the biggest surprise here is why I'm even surprised.

I mean, people like Efren "Bata" Reyes and Django Bustamante have been beating the world's best with impunity since time immemorial that they make pros shake with fear even when they're down 10-1 in a race to 11 match.

This time around, the all-Filipino match up between former world champion Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan and world number #1 Dennis Orcollo just underscored the fact that we are the Manny Pacquiao of world billiards.

In the first 3 years of the Guinness 9 Ball Tour, Filipinos have been lording it over all comers. In fact, it is only Chinese Taipei's recent 9 leg run in the last year and a half that even put anyone in the same sentence with us, enabling them to tie us 12-all in Tour championships.

With Pagulayan's win, the Philippines' is again, 13-12. Hopefully, we get to build on this victory again.