Ranola, Amit post emphatic wins at start of 2012 Amway Women’s World 9-Ball Championships

REIGNING Southeast Asian Games double gold medallist and Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) awardee Iris Ranola and Cebuana Rubilen Amit posted impressive wins yesterday at the start of the 2012 AMWAY eSpring Women’s World 9-Ball Championships in Taipei, Taiwan.
The world No. 24 Ranola, who plays for the Aristeo “Putch” Puyat stable, stunned world No. 2 Fu Xiao-Fang of China, 7-4, in the first round of the Group matches.
“Suwerte nakapasok ako sa qualifying round kahapon (Wednesday) at nasilat ko si Fu Xiao Fang kanina sa group stage. At 1-0 na kami ni Rubilen (Amit),” Ranola said through text yesterday.
Meanwhile, Amit the former Women’s World 10-ball champion and world No. 1 Chen Siming of China, both posted 7-0 victories.
“It’s a good start for Iris and Rubilen, I hope they can perform well in the Amway Women’s World 9-Ball event in Taiwan,” said Aristeo “Putch” Puyat, long time benefactor of Ranola and Amit and the acknowledged godfather of Philippine billiards.
The tournament has a total purse of $70,000. It is sanctioned by WPA and organized by Chinese Taipei Billiards Federation (CTBF). The champion will get $20,000 while the runner-up will go home $10,000 richer.
In other results: Tan Ho Yun of Chinese-Taipei edged Yu Ram Cha of Korea, 7-6; Ga Young Kim of Korea nipped Zhuting Wu of China, 7-5; Lin Hsiao Chi of Chinese-Taipei shocked Pan Xiao Ting of China, 7-6; Jasmin Ouschan of Austria toppled Zhou DouDou of China, 7-6 and Allison Fisher of Great Britain tripped Angeline Ticoalu of Indonesia, 7-6.