Philippine Billiards Team Delivers Whitewash

Philippine Billiards Team Delivers Whitewash
The Philippine billiard team of Francisco Bustamante and Efren Reyes produced a stunning exhibition of pool to thrash Croatia 8-0 and become the first team to qualify for the quarter-finals in the 2007 PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool.
Efren Reyes and Francisco Bustamante, the reigning World Cup holders, have shown they will be a very difficult team to beat and will now face either France or China in Saturday’s quarter-final.
There was controversy during the lag as Bustamante’s effort was closer to the bottom cushion but referee Michaela Tabb adjudged his effort to be a foul as the ball had crept into the other half of the table.
But it did not matter as Philippines made it 1-0. Bustamante scratched in the second but the error was not punished as Stojanovic failed to sink the 4-ball with a jump shot attempt as the Asian side doubled their lead.
It soon became 3-0 after both Stojanovic and Putnik had missed with attempts on the brown 7, a ball that has cursed a number of players throughout this tournament.
Every slight error from the Croatians was being ruthlessly punished by the Filipino pair, who once again were showing why they are regarded as two of the best players in the world.
Reyes and Bustamante had to work hard in the opening round to defeat Scotland 8-6 but this match was looking to be a much easier task.
The duo had the speed on the break and moved 4-0 ahead, halfway to their total of eight. There had not been a whitewash in the tournament yet but this looked an increasingly likely outcome, especially as they ran out from the break in the fifth rack for a stunning 5-0 ahead.
At the start of the next Philippines made a rare error as Reyes overhit his break shot and lost position of the cue ball, which slumped into the left side pocket.
However, once again Croatia could not capitalise as Putnik left the pink 4 hanging over the bottom left pocket and yet again it proved to be costly. Bustamante downed the 9-ball with the match as good as over.
The scoreline at this point was 6-0 but Croatia had a rare opportunity in the seventh. Reyes had left an opportunity on the 4-ball but as Putnik missed the following shot it was as if the Croatians knew they were already a beaten side.
It was time for the Philippines to show some party shots and Bustamante produced the biggest cheer of the week when he produced a stunning kick shot to pocket the 7-ball into the right side pocket after Reyes had left him out of position.
That moved them to the hill, but only minutes later it was all over as Philippines again broke and ran through the rack for the first 8-0 whitewash of the tournament.