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Gabica Keeps Winning Run Alive PhilBoxing.com Wed, 18 Feb 2015 ![]() Gabica. GENERAL SANTOS CITY--Lowly-rated Antonio Gabica of the Philippines showed the form that nearly made him world champion two years ago by scoring two upset wins to advance into the round of 64 in the World 10-Ball championships at the SM City Mall here. Gabica, who earlier claimed the scalp of eighth seed Liu Haitao of China late Tuesday afternoon with a neat 9-3 shellacking, upended Karol Skowerski of Poland, 9-8, in a thrilling finish Wednesday. Ranked 121st among the 128-man roster, the 41-year-old Gabica fell short and finished runner-up in the 2013 World 9-Ball finals to Thorsten Hohmann in Doha, Qatar. This time around, he is pulling all stops in achieving a lifelong dream to be called "world champion." "Mahaba pa," (It is still a long way to go) said Gabica, who also joined fellow Filipino Lee Van Corteza in the Group 4 winner's bracket where only four out of the eight advance into the round of 64. Gabica looked poised to win easily, taking an early 6-3 lead, and raced to an 8-6 advantage but Skowerski tied the score at eight wins apiece. In the deciding 17th game, Gabica however proved to have steelier nerves and emerged victorious. The 25th seed Corteza beat compatriot John Rebong, 9-5. He joined fellow Filipinos Anton Raga and 17th seed Raymund Faraon of Group 2, who remained unbeaten with two wins apiece, and advance into the next round. Other Filipinos who also advanced in their respective groups included legendary Francisco "Django" Bustamante and Jerico Bonus. Bustamante blasted Ivica Putnik of Croatia, 9-3, while Bonus defeated Marco Teutscher of the Netherlands, 9-7, in separate matches. In Group 1 action, top seed Chang Yu Lung continued to dominate, beating Petri Makkonen, 9-6, and joined Poland's Piotr Kudlik into the next round. Another Pole, 56th seed Mieszko Fortunski, scored a 9-5 upset over Qatar's Waleed Majid, seeded ninth, to qualify into the next round along with John Morra of Canada in Group 3. Other foreign campaigners who remained unbeaten and advanced outright included Ruben Bautista of Mexico, Chang Jung Lin of Chinese Taipei, Ralph Souquet of Germany and Radoslaw Babica of Poland, among others. Matches were still being played as of press time. Photo: Antonio Gabica of the Philippines lines up his shot against Karol Skowerski of Poland in the second day action of the World 10-Ball championships in General Santos City. ![]() |
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