After a fruitful 2011, Lee Vann Corteza targets world billiards crown next year

AFTER a fruitful year wherein he collected four major titles, Lee Vann Corteza has set his sights on achieving every billiard player’s dream next year — win a world title.

Corteza said his main mission next year will be to join Filipino billiard world champions Efren “Bata” Reyes, Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Alex “The Lion” Pagulayan, Dennis “Robocop” Orcollo, Ronato “Volcano” Alcano and Rubilen “Bingkay” Amit of Cebu.

“Target ko pong makakuha ng WPA world crown (8-ball, 9-ball and 10-ball) next year,” said Corteza who is supported by Energen and Kopiko.

Corteza has won several big tournaments this year but still has to collect a legitimate world title.

The two-time national open champion, who plays for the Negros Billiards Stable and JSY Sports of businessman Jonathan Sy, hopes to continue his winning run in 2012 when he competes in the Derby City Classic in Kentucky, USA in January, the World 8-Ball championship in Fujairah, UAE in February and the Japan Open in March.

This year, the Davao cue master who goes by the moniker “The Slayer” has beaten top caliber opponents including compatriot and world No.1 Dennis Orcollo to rack-up four major titles in the last five months.

These include the 2011 Golden Break 9-Ball Asian Invitational Championship in Malaysia last August, the San Miguel Beer Oktoberfest 9-Ball Open Masters in October, the Philippine Bigtime Billiards Face-Off and the Manny Pacquiao International 10-ball Championships, both in December.

Corteza started playing pool in 1993 and has already won four gold medals and a silver at the Southeast Asian Games. In 2010, he won the US Open 10-Ball Championship, so far the greatest achievement of his career.

He considers Orcollo, German Ralf “The Kaiser” Souquet and Finnish Mika “The Ice Man” Immonen as his greatest opponents. The New York-based Immonen toppled Corteza for the World Ten Ball crown in 2009. /Correspondent Marlon Bernardino