Francisco Bustamante

Monday, November 5, 2007

Personal Background

  • Name: Francisco Bustamante
  • Known as: "Django"
  • Sex: Male
  • Age: 44 years old
  • Date of Birth: December 29, 1963
  • Place of Birth: Tarlac, Philippines
  • Country: Philippines
  • Nationality: Filipino
  • Hobbies: Playing pool
  • Spouse: na
  • Sports: Billiard
Achievements:
  • 2007 Hard Times Summer Jamboree One Pocket Division
  • 2007 Hard Times Summer Jamboree 9-Ball
  • 2007 US Pro Tour Championship
  • 2006 World Cup of Pool
  • 2005 Masters 9-Ball Champion
  • 2005 Joss NE 9-Ball Tour Finale Champion
  • 2005 All-Filipino Billiards Open
  • 2005 Weert Open 10-Ball Ring Game
  • 2004 World Pool League Champion
  • 2003 ESPN International Challenge of Champions
  • 2002 All Japan Championship
  • 2002 ESPN Sudden Death 7-Ball
  • 2002 Gabriels Las Vegas International 9-Ball
  • 2002 Peninsula 9-Ball Open
  • 2002 IBC Tour Stop 2 (Munich, Germany)
  • 2002 Motolite World 9-Ball Challenge
  • 2002 IBC Tokyo 9-Ball International
  • 2001 World Pool Masters
  • 2001 Turning Stone Casino Classic II
  • 2000 Motolite International 9-Ball Championship
  • 1999 ESPN International Challenge of Champions
  • 1999 Camel Tulsa 9-Ball Open
  • 1998 Camel Riviera 8-Ball Open
  • 1998 World Pool Masters
  • 1998 Camel Tulsa 9-Ball Open
  • 1998 Camel Columbus 10-Ball Open
  • 1998 Sands Regency Open 28
  • 1997 Camel Kasson Open
  • 1997 Camel Denver Open
  • 1993 PBT Bicycle Club Invitational
Trivia:
  • Bustamante has played since the age of 10 years old, and has won titles like The Munich Masters, The German 9-Ball Championship and The Japan 9-Ball Championship making him one of billiard's greatest international stars.
  • With his win in Tulsa, "Django" locked up the 1998 Camel Pro Billiards Series year-long point fund's top spot. He then finished the season in record breaking style, winning the Columbus 10-Ball Open and becoming the first player to win three Camel titles in one season. His Columbus 10-Ball title also completed the first ever Camel trifecta, with titles in each of the three games contested on the Camel Pro Billiards Series: 8-Ball, 9-Ball and 10-Ball. Known for his graceful style at the table and his signature behind-the-back shot, "Django" is one of the best Filipino players of the game along with fellow Kapampangan Efren Reyes, Marlon Manalo and Ronato Alcano.
  • One of his trademarks is shooting with the cue behind his back. He also holds the world record for having the most powerful break shot: 43 miles per hour.
  • In 1999, Bustamante finished 3rd place in WPA World Nine-ball Championship after losing to Efren Reyes who later won it. Months later, he won the International Challenge of Champions. He won that tournament again three years later.
  • The next year, Bustamante won the Motolite 9-ball Tournament, an event held in the Philippines, at the expense of Antonio Lining. The victory earned him $30K which was the largest first prize offered in a Philippine-held tournament at that time (this was later surpassed when Alcano won $100K in the 2006 WPA World Nine-ball Championship which was held in that country).
  • The year 2002 was probably the coldest year for Bustamante, especially when considering his experience at the World Pool Championships. While the tournament was still going on, Bustamante was most shock when he receive a phone call from his wife informing him that his daughter ,who was less than a year old, had died. Devastated he was by this, "Django" almost wanted to forfeit his contention at tournament and return to the Philippines. But some people around convince him to go on.
  • On his way to the final, Bustamante bested Antonio Lining in the last 16, Efren Reyes in the quarter finals and Ching Shun Yang in semis. In the final, he met Earl Strickland, the 2-time winner of the tournament. Bustamante was leading most of the time and could have won the title. At one point, he went for a jump shot but missed. Strickland returned to the table and won a few rack in a row to win the match 17-15.
  • His loss at the final of the World Championship was most definitely a big blow to him on account that there's probably no reason for him to lose. Nonetheless. Bustamante starting making a number of tournaments wins shortly thereafter.
  • Bustamante won the Peninsula 9-Ball Open, Gabriels Las Vegas International 9-Ball, IBC Tokyo 9-Ball International and All Japan Championship. He even won the Sudden Death 7-Ball tournament and dedicated it to his daughter whom he had tragically lost. With such a string victories, he became the AzBilliards 2002 Player of the Year.
  • Despite not winning the crown at the IPT World Open 8-Ball Championship, Bustamante had an extraordinary performance in the tournament. There, he won 18 matches in a row. This is a feat that perhaps no one can surpass or even equal. This also is most definitely a world record in pool for the most consecutive matches won in a tournament.
  • In 2007, "Bustie", as he is fondly called in the United States, was undefeated and snatched the United States Pro Tour Championship held at the Normandie Casino in Los Angeles, California.
  • Despite the fact he never won a world championship, Bustamante is rated second to Reyes when it comes to recognition.

Bustamante wins Hard Times One Pocket

Friday, June 29, 2007

francisco_bustamante_22 Francisco "Django" Bustamante over Chohan for Hard Times One Pocket Win

Great win for the Filipino, as "www.azbilliards.com" reports:

"What could be better for Francisco Bustamante than an undefeated run through the field to win the 9-ball division at the Hard Times Billiards Summer Jamboree? How about another undefeated run through the field to win the one-pocket division?

Bustamante made his way to the match for the hot-seat without letting an opponent get to the hill against him, but that streak was ended by Tony Chohan when he took an early 2-1 lead against Bustamante for the hot-seat. Bustamante came back and won that match 3-2 to send Chohan to the one loss side, but Chohan's stay on the left side of the board didn't last long.

Chohan rolled over David Gross 3-0 in under 15 minutes allowing Gross a total of three balls pocketed over three games.

The rematch between Chohan and Bustamante in the extended race to five finals was a marathon. Their first match had lasted less than 40 minutes for five games, but the rematch lasted nearly 3 hours as Chohan climbed to a 3-1 lead, but saw that lead erased at 4-4.

The final game saw Bustamante on the defensive for much of the action, but he kept with it and took advantage of any opening Chohan left him as he won the final game for first place.

Bustamante earned $3500 for first place, while Chohan settled for $2200. Gross and Jose Parica filled out the top four spots."

Bustamante earns Player Ranking Top Spot

francisco_bustamante_20 Bustamante earns AzB Player Ranking Top Spot

An undefeated run through both events at the Hard Times Billiards Summer Jamboree was more than enough to propel Francisco Bustamante to the top of the AzB Player Ranking list this week. Bustamante won both the 9-ball and one pocket divisions and climbed six places into the top position.

Last week's #1 player, Shane Van Boening, dropped to third place while Efren Reyes held strong at second. Both Johnny Archer and young Austin Murphy held in 4th and 5th place.

Xiao-Ting Pan remains the top rated female player. Pan actually climbed one spot on the list while her closest rival, Jeanette Lee, dropped two spots to #12.

A 9th place finish in the Hard Times 9-Ball event earned Jeff Gregory the distinction of highest climbing player as he rose 2973 spots to 42nd place. Second highest climber was Viking Tour Ladies Event winner Katie Cowan who climbed 1964 places to 25th place.

World 8-Ball Pool Championships Fujairah, UAE Day Two

Sunday, March 4, 2007

German hopes for another world title suffered a major setback today as three of their biggest stars all tasted defeat. Thomas Engert lost to Elvis Calasang of the Phillipines 8-3, Oliver Ortmann fell 8-7 to Farhad Shaverdi of Iran and Thorsten Hohmann came up short 8-4 against Serge Das of Belgium. None of these players is as yet out of the running as it would take another defeat to eliminate any of them, but now they are all on the proverbial tightrope for staying in the field.

Sunday will be the judgement day for the field as half of them will be eliminated by the end of the day’s play. Those that remain will fall into a single-elimination format with sixteen seeded players (seeded according to their performance thus far) and the remaining players drawn into the brackets.

That is when the suspense will kick into high gear as any match loss from then on out will mean elimination from the tournament. The players are now used to the tables and playing conditions and so excuses are at a minimum.

Play will begin at 2 PM on Sunday at the Al Bushtan Hall in Fujairah. Complete results as of the end of play Saturday are listed below. Best Wishes,
Jerry Forsyth

Results From Day Two

14:00
Fabio Petroni (ITA) v Zbyniek Vaic (RSA) 8-2
Michael Felder (AUT) v Lee Vann Corteza (PHI) 2-8
Saleem Al Juneebi (UAE) v Mohammed Asim (IND) 8-5
Rizandro Arrieta (VEN) v Efren Reyes (PHI) 2-8
Chia-Ching Wu (TPE) v Thomas Damm (GER) 8-6
Jason Klatt (CAN) v Elvis Calasang (PHI) 3-8
Carlos Alburez (GUA) v Kareem Al Gendi (EGY) 0-8

16:00
Saeed Al Mutawe (UAE) v Naif Al Jeweni (KSA) 3-8
Thomas Engert (GER) v Goran Mladenovic (SCG) 3 -8
Mario Tolentino (PHI) v Niels Feijen (NED) 4-8
Nasser Al Mujebel (KUW) v Omran Salem (UAE) 8-3
Mohammed Aseel (EGY) v Günter Geisen (GER) 5-8
Thorsten Hohmann (GER) v Serge Das (BEL) 4-8
Farhad Shaverdi (IRA) v Oliver Ortmann (GER) 8-7

18:00
Joven Bustamante (PHI) v Roberto Freitas (ANT) 8-2
Henrik Asperup (DEN) v Muhammed Al Hosani (UAE) 8-2
Hui-Kai Hsia (TPE) v Lee Vann Corteza (PHI) 8-3
Alec Evreniadis (AUS) v Nick v.d. Berg (NED) 0-8
Kevin Becker (GER) v Michael Felder (AUT) 8-5
Omar El Serkal (UAE) v Issa Al Boloshi (UAE) 3-8
Ronnie Alcano (PHI) v Joven Alba (PHI) 8-6

20:00
Table 1: Erik Hjorleifson (CAN) v Satoshi Kawabata (JPN) 8-5
Table 2: Rafath Habib (IND) v Hani Al Howri (UAE) 4-8
Table 3: Ben Nunan (AUS) v Arif Allah (PAK) 8-2
Table 4: Dennis Orcollo (PHI) v Aki Heiskanen (FIN) 8-2
Table 5: James Ortega (PHI) v Francisco Bustamante (PHI) 5-8
Table 6: Karl Boyes (GBR) v Naoyuki Ohi (JPN) 8-5
Table 7: Salah AL Rimawi (UAE) v Alexander Dremsizis (GER) 8-3