Cebuana Amit logs 2 wins, makes Last 24

Cebuana billiards queen Rubilen “Bingkay” Amit posted two emphatic wins in Group 1 yesterday to advance to the Last 24 round of the 2011 Yalin World Women’s 10-Ball Championship at the Robinson’s Galleria in Ortigas.

Amit, who won the tournament’s inaugural staging in 2009, blasted S. M. Liu of China and J. Wu of Chinese-Taipei via 6-4 scores in the $75,000 championship.

Amit, the top player of sportsman Aristeo “Putch” Puyat, earlier beat Natalya Seroshtan of Russia, 6-2, in the first round on Wednesday.

The victories put Amit in the company of heavyweights Ga Young Kim of Korea and Kelly Fisher of Great Britain. She will next face Monica Webb of the US.

Kim defeated compatriot Y. M. Lim, 6-4; M. Fuke of Japan, 6-3; and Emily Duddy of the US, 6-2 in Group 4 while Fisher tripped E. J. Park of Korea, 6-5; E. Shakori of Japan, 6-0, and X. Chen of Chinese-Taipei, 6-5, in Group 5.

If Amit, Kim and Fisher will top their respective group, they will automatically advance to the Last 16.

Meanwhile, another Puyat Sports bet Iris Ranola scored her second win against H.C. Lin of Chinese-Taipei, 6-5, in Group 2. The former US Open women’s 9-ball runner-up nipped 2011 China 9-ball Open women’s champion Fu Xiao Fang of China, 6-3, in the opening round. Her next assignment is Filipina-American Mary Rakin.

Rakin rebounded from a, 2-6 loss to Lin with a, 5-6 win against Fu. She earlier beat Anastasia Necheava of Russia, 6-1 in the first round in Group 2.

The tournament winner will get $20,000 in the event organized by Dragon Promotions in cooperation with Puyat Sports and Star Billiards Center.

The event drew 48 players divided into eight groups composed of six players each. The top three players from each group advance to the next round.