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Bustamante Out at World 9-B
Jun 30, 2011, 7:50 AM

Bustamante will not repeat as World 9-Ball Champion. (Photo courtesy Matchroom Sport)

When play began on Thursday at the World 9-Ball Championship in Doha, Qatar, 32 players remained in the knockout bracket. When the last ball drops this evening, just four will remain. Considering the frenetic pace of eliminations, drama won't be hard to find at the Al Sadd Sports Club.

And if the early returns from the Round of 16 are any indication, players and spectators might want to make appointments with their cardiologists on Saturday. Shane Van Boening, the last of the two Americans in the 128-player field, survived an epic battle with England's Darren Appleton. As the two see-sawed toward the finish line, Appleton climbed on the hill first at 10-9. But Van Boening, who's in search of his first WPA-sanctioned title, responded by collecting the final two racks for a thrilling hill-hill victory. Into the quarterfinal round, set for Thursday evening, Van Boening will face the winner of the Mark Gray-Antonio Gabica match.

In other results, reigning champion Francisco Bustamante had dreams of a back-to-back performance dashed by fellow Filipino Dennis Orcollo. Orcollo, the reigning world 8-ball king, thumped his Hall of Fame countryman by an 11-6 count. He will square off with 2007 world 9-ball titlist Daryl Peach in the quarterfinals.

In other results:
Vicencio Tanio beat Ralf Souquet, 11-9
Carlo Biado topped Yukio Akakariyama, 11-9
Toru Kuribayashi ousted Antonio Lining, 11-8
Ronnie Alcano edged Chang Yu Lun, 11-9