Earl Strickland, who won back-to-back WPA world 9-ball titles in the early 90s, moved a step closer to reclaiming that crown with a convincing 11-4 win over Japan's Akikimo Toshikawa Friday afternoon in Cardiff, Wales. With the win, Strickland advanced to the Elite Eight at the Victor Chandler World Pool Championship, where he will meet Rudolfo Luat, the unlikely lone remaining player from the Philippines Saturday afternoon."I was much more comfortable today," said Strickland, who nonetheless still found time to joust with what he perceived to be an overly talkative crowd. "I'm carrying the flag for the U.S."

Luat, who has outlasted his more popular countrymen Efren Reyes, Francisco Bustamante and Leonardo Andam, defeated Chin-Shun Yang of Taiwan, 11-6.In other Sweet 16 action on Friday, Denmark's Peter Nielsen held of the comeback efforts of American Allen Hopkins, 11-8. Nielsen, the no. 26 seed, forged a 6-1 lead, before Hopkins mounted his charge. Also, 22-year-old Melbourne, native Johl Younger, became the first Australian ever to reach the Elite Eight with a surprising 11-7 win over Finland's Mika Immonen, the event's no. 19 seed. Mexico's 50-year-old Ismael "Morro" Paez, the renowned West Coast money player, ran the final four racks to stop young Canadian Alex Pagulyan, 11-8.

The afternoon's most interesting match featured 1996 WPA champion Fong Pang Chao edging 1995 champion Oliver Ortmann of Germany, 11-9. The match featured controversy, as Ortmann accused the Taiwanese champion of intentionally moving in Ortmann's line while the German took aim at a game-clinching 9-ball. Chao, through an interpreter brought in by the head referee, was warned about his actions, but that didn't save a bitter Ortmann from coming up short in his drive for the $60,000 top prize in the $250,000 event.

The evening's feature match - English snooker hero Steve Davis facing his third straight former world champion, Kunihiko Takahashi of Japan.