Bustamante still red-hot in Turning Stone Classic

Monday, August 18, 2008

Former world No. 1 Francisco "Django" Bustamante racked up huge wins in the winner's bracket to stay in the hunt for a title in the 2008 Turning Stone Classic XI 9-Ball Tournament at the Turning Stone Casino in Verona, New York, USA on Sunday.

Bustamante, playing under the banner of Puyat Sports, dumped Americans Chris Szuter, 9-2, in the fourth and Dennis Hatch, 9-5, in the fifth.

But Filipino legend Jose "Amang" Parica and Mhet Vergara were not as fortunate as they dropped their respective matches in the loser's bracket to get ousted in the $25,000 total pot prize, double-elimination tournament.

The West Covina, California resident Parica, acknowledge leader of the Filipino invasion in the US pool circuit in the mid 80s, bowed to American Shawn Putnam, 9-6, while the New York-based Vergara yielded to Mexican warrior Oscar Dominguez, 9-4.

Parica earlier lost to reigning US Open 9-Ball Champion Shane "The South Dakota Kid" Van Boening, 9-0, in the fourth round of the winner's bracket. Vergara dropped his opening match against Bulgarian Ivaylo Petrov, 9-5.

The 2002 World Pool Championship runner-up Bustamante, who is fresh from a third place finish in the Million Dollar 9-ball shootout, will face UK's pride Raj Hundal in the next round.

Hundal won over Greg Antonakos, 9-4, and Ronnie Wiseman, 9-4, in order. Other noted players who remained in the win column were Charlie "The Korean Dragon" Williams, Shaun Wilkie and Jeremy Jones.

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