Reigning US 9-ball open champion Carlo Biado dominated top competitor Raymund Faraon in the Finals to bag the National 10-Ball Tournament title – a fitting send-off before he flies to Vietnam for the 31st Southeast Asian Games.
Biado defeated Faraon in a convincing 11-3 fashion to emerge as the pool king and ran away with the top prize of P102,000 on Saturday, May 7 at the Robinson’s Mall in Naga City.
The victory should come as a huge confidence booster for Biado who will banner the Philippine billiards and snooker team along with eight other pool masters for the biennial meet. The pride of Rosario, La Union will be the country’s bet in the men’s 10-ball and 9-ball singles.
“I hope to win the SEAG gold,” said Biado, who will be joined by another popular cue master Johann "Bubwit" Chua in the Hanoi Games.
Biado just stamped his class all-tournament-long beating the Alexis Ferrer, 10-8, in the Round-of-16 and James "Dodong Diamond" Aranas, 10-6, in the Round-of-8 before dominating Anthony "Anton" Raga, 11-6, in the Round-of-4.
Faraon, who pursed P30,000 for the bridesmaid finish, trounced Jerico Bonus, 10-4, in the Round-of-16, Marvin Pastor, 10-4, in the Round-of-8 and Rodrigo "Edgie" Geronimo, 10-11, in the Round-of-4 to set up the Finals clash with Biado
Joining Biado in the SEAG contingent are Rubilen Amit and Chezka Centeno in the Women’s 10-ball and 9-ball singles, Francisco Dela Cruz and Efren "Bata" Reyes in the one-cushion and three-cushion carom and Alvin Barbero and Jeffrey Roda in Snooker men's singles and 6-red singles.
Amit and Centeno will be defending the 9-ball and 10-ball singles crown in Hanoi while Biado hopes to bag the gold mint after Dennis Orcollo topped the event in 2019.