Carlo Biado led the Filipinos' surge in their respective race-to-four matches to advance to Round of 32 of the 10- Ball Las Vegas Open at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino on Thursday, Feb. 22 (Manila time).

Biado, 40, displayed his prowess in his opening round assignment against Iran’s Sina Valizadeh, 4-1, 4-0, and will meet Taiwan’s Wu Kun in the winners qualification bracket of the four-day long tilt that offers $30,000 (around P1.6 million) for the men’s winner.

Meanwhile, Lee Vann Corteza swiftly downed USA’s Maximinio Martinez, 4-1, 4-2, while Roland Garcia toppled Indonesia’s Andri Andri, 4-2, 4-0, to join Biado in the next round of the tournament that attracted 96 elite players.

Corteza and Garcia face a tall order ahead as they tussle with former world champions in Russian-born American Fedor Gorst and Germany’s Joshua Filler, respectively.

Big names in billiards took part as well in Taiwan’s Ko Ping Chung and Ko Pin-Yi, Spain’s Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, Austria’s Albin Ouschan, USA’s Shane Van Boening and Japan’s Naoyuki Oi. Filipino blooded Robbi Capito (Hong Kong) and Alex Pagulayan (Canada) also participated.

On the women’s side, Chezka Centeno is set to collide with the winner of Match 3 which pitted her compatriot Dori De Leon and American Emily Callado.