Lee Van Corteza struck the jackpot at the Las Vegas Open as the experienced Filipino beat his fellow countryman Carlo Biado in straight sets to win his maiden Predator Pro Billiard Series accolade.
Corteza, a former World Cup of Pool and Derby City Classic champion in nineball pool, added another prestigious honour to his resume, securing the $30,000 top prize following a 4-2, 4-3 victory over Biado at the Rio All-Suite Hotel and Casino.
Biado won the opening rack via a break and run but a couple of dry breaks hindered his hopes, with Corteza pulling off a composed bank in rack two and taking full advantage of his opponent’s errors to take the opening set.
An undeterred Biado compiled two breaks and run to take a 3-1 lead in set two and appear in full control. Corteza pulled off an impressive four-rail safety shot and a break and run to force a decider, during which Biado remarkably miscued and gifted Corteza the title.
Beforehand, Corteza was beaten in the winners’ qualification round at the hands of Fedor Gorst, although he bounced back with a 4-3, 2-4, 4-2 victory over New Zealand’s Sullivan Clark to qualify for the single elimination phase.
He then saw off compatriot Roland Garcia, before surviving a tense shootout in a real battle against Skyler Woodward to reach the quarter-finals, where he dealt with Alex Kazakis in straight sets.
Ko Ping-Chung, who had defeated both Albin Ouschan and Wu Kun-Lin in previous rounds, would stand between Corteza and the final, but Corteza was relatively comfortable in coming through a 4-3, 4-0 winner.
Biado, meanwhile, ended the campaign of Francisco Sanchez Ruiz in the semi-finals with a dominant 4-1, 4-1 win, having battled through a decisive shootout against Tyler Styer in the last eight.
Sanchez Ruiz thrashed three-time Pro Billiard Series champion Gorst 4-0, 4-0 in the quarter-finals, with Gorst having scuppered defending champion Wiktor Zielinski’s incredible 20-match winning streak at the Las Vegas Open in the last 16.
Shane van Boening was beaten in the last 32 at the hands of Albin Ouschan after a below par display, while Joshua Filler and Ko Pin-Yi exited at the same stage following losses to John Morra and Tyler Styer.
The Las Vegas Open was preparation for most of the players for the upcoming lucrative World 10-Ball Championship at the same venue, which takes place from February 27 to March 2.
