THE Philippines’ Carlo Biado and Jeffrey Ignacio will square off in an all-Pinoy final 16 match. This is an intriguing matchup as the 34-year-old Biado is the veteran in the group who’s been knocking on the door of big time success for three years, while the 25-year-old Ignacio has wowed Filipino fans with his awesome talent, but has yet to produce long-term success. Biado will certainly come in as the favorite, as several months back he won a gold medal in the World Games and seems to have finally picked up a knack for closing out big matches.
Ko Pin Yi manhandled Austria’s Max Lechner, 11-3. In the final 16 Ko will take on the Philippines Roland Garcia. Garcia, who was once a protégé of the legendary Efren Reyes, and even comes from the same hometown as Reyes, has reached his best effort at a world championship this week in Doha.
A massive surprise in the final 16 is Myanmar’s Maung Maung. The 23-year-old has been a revelation all week and kept up the superb play under immense pressure today. In the round of 32, the Philippines’ Jeffrey de Luna threw everything he could at Maung, but Maung never flinched and closed out the match nicely, 11-9.
Venezuelan-Jordanian Jalal Yousef is very well known on the pro circuit. Yousef is enjoying his best ever success this week in Doha. After his second straight win today, Yousef revealed that he came to Doha brimming with confidence.
“I’m playing good,” Yousef said. “I’m breaking good. I was in the States for two months I played in a lot of tournaments. Ten days ago I played in a tournament in Dubai I played really good. I’ve been practicing a lot and I’m playing good and I’m excited to play. I feel like I’m in shape. I’m playing my best game right now. I hope I can keep it up.”
Yousef will match wits with China’s Dang Jinhu, another hard-nosed player who plays under the radar. Chinese veteran Liu Haitao joins Dang in the final 16. Today Liu barely escaped the round of 32 with an 11-10 win over Spain’s Francisco Sanchez Ruiz.
Despite the plethora of upstarts, veterans and current and former world champions in the final 16, fans in Doha and around the world can’t help but keep turning their attentions to the two young superstars remaining in the field; Germany’s 20-year-old Joshua Filler, and Albania’s 18-year-old Klenti Kaci.
Filler continued to cruise at his usual lightning pace in two matches today, seemingly playing without a care in the world, shooting lights-out pool, and keeping that determined look that speaks of a champion in the making.
In terms of styles, Kaci is the polar opposite of Filler; clinical, methodical and deliberate. But the Albanian seems absolutely impervious to pressure and exudes pool playing class at all times during a match. Nobody would be surprised if Kaci found himself raising the trophy come Thursday evening.
Kaci, however, will have his hands full against Canadian John Morra, whose confidence seems to be soaring. Morra first turned back world number one Chang Jun Lin, 11-9, then beat Russia’s Konstantin Stepanov by the same score line to advance.
The final 16 and quarterfinals will take place on Wednesday, Dec. 13. The round of 16 begins at 10 a.m. Doha time (GMT +3), while the quarterfinals begins at 2 p.m. All matches will be race to 11, alternate break.
