Gomez to Face Peach for World Billiard Title
The final of the 2007 Philippines World Pool Championship will be an England v Philippines affair as Daryl Peach of Blackpool takes on Roberto Gomez of Manila in a race-to-17 match at the Araneta Coliseum, Quezon City at 15.30 local time on Sunday.
Both players won through their quarter and semi-final games in emphatic style in a day of pool that contained some outstanding play as well as moments of drama and controversy.
Betting firms have installed Gomez as a 1/2 favourite while Peach is the outsider at 6/4. The prize at stake is $100,000 but more importantly the title of World Pool Champion and Gomez will attempt to become the third Filipino player in four years to lift this coveted crown.
Peach becomes the first Englishman ever to reach the final and hopes to emulate the success of Thorsten Hohmann who was the last European to win the event in 2003.
The likeable Englishman put on his career-best performance to oust betting favourite Francisco Bustamante from the competition in the quarter-finals.
The game went all the way to a deciding final rack and there was an incident in the 19th game that set the match alight as Bustamante, leading 10-9, thought that he had won the match following a 3/9 carom shot.
Welsh referee Nigel Rees though, was not so sure that the 9 ball was not contacted first – a foul shot. Rees then took an age to consult slowed down television replays before making his call, which was a foul shot with the 9 ball respotted and ball in hand to Peach.
When play resumed, the Englishman had to refocus as the pandemonium around the table died down. In a great showing, Peach cleared the table and then ran the final rack as the boos rang out.
In less dramatic circumstances, Peach topped Hungary’s Vilmos Foldes in the semi-final by an 11-2 scoreline. Peach was in control from start to finish and looked assured throughout.
Roberto Gomez had earlier beaten the remaining Taiwanese player Kuo Po-cheng in a 11-4 rout on Table 1. Using the soft break in the hot conditions to good effect, Gomez restricted his opponent’s opportunities while potting everything in sight.
His semi-final foe was Karl Boyes (England) who was making his debut in the competition. Boyes, 25, was having a fabulous run in his first ever World Pool Championship, which he only gained entry to by winning a qualifying event in Holland in September.
At 4-0 to the good against Gomez, he was off to a great start but it was not to be as Gomez put on a master class to take 11 consecutive racks.
Quarter Finals
Daryl Peach (ENG) 11 – 10 Francisco Bustamante (PHI)
Vilmos Foldes (HUN) 11 – 7 Mika Immonen (FIN)
Karl Boyes (Eng) 11 – 8 Joven Bustamante (PHI)
Roberto Gomez (PHI) 11 – 4 Kuo Po-cheng (TPE)
Semi Finals
Daryl Peach (ENG) 11 – 2 Vilmos Foldes (HUN)
Roberto Gomez (PHI) 11 – 4 Karl Boyes (Eng)