De Luna ousts Gomez, makes Las Vegas semis

Jeff de Luna coasted to the semifinals following a 3-0 triumph over Roberto Gomez in the Las Vegas Open at the Rio All Suite Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada on Wednesday.

The 41-year-old De Luna, a bronze medalist in the Doha Asian Games in 2006 and semifinalist in the US Open 9-Ball Championship in 2019, needs two more victories to secure the title and pocket the prize money of $37,500 — or roughly P2.1 million.

He is competing against Denis Grabe of Estonia at press time for a chance to advance to the final against the survivor in the other semifinal clash between Alex Kazakis of Germany and Joshua Filler of Germany.

Gomez, on the other hand, will take home more than P253,000 for his quarterfinal finish.

De Luna has been impressive in this tourney that drew the participation of 128 of the best 10-ball players around the world.

He opened his campaign with a 2-0 win over Masashi Myojo of Japan before stunning home bet Tim Yomjun, 2-0, in the first round of the winner’s bracket.

Then, he beat Mateusz Sniegocki of Poland, 2-0, in the winner’s qualification before eking out a thrilling 3-2 win over Gerson Martinez Boza of Peru in the Last 32.

De Luna then swept Polish cue artist Radoslaw Babica, 3-0, in the Last 16 to set up an all-Filipino quarterfinal clash with Gomez.

Aside from De Luna and Gomez, two more Filipinos are competing in the winners’ bracket of this prestigious event that is sanctioned by the World Pool Association.

Two-time world 10-ball champion Rubilen Amit swept past Luo Ada of the United States, 1-0, in the first round while Chezka Centeno, also a former world 10-Ball champion, took down another American in Nicole Cuellar, 2-0.

Amit is clashing with American Briana Edwards while Centeno is facing April Larson, also of the United States, at press time.