Amoroto, Feliciano march on quarterfinals of Hanoi Open billiards tourney

MANILA, Philippines – Unheralded Filipinos Kyle Amoroto and Michael Angelo Feliciano continued their fairy tale runs as they downed their respective foes Saturday to advance to the quarterfinals of the Hanoi Open at the My Dinh Indoor Athletics Arena in Vietnam.

Out to make a name of their own and follow the footsteps of Filipino greats including Efren “Bata” Reyes, Amoroto stunned former Southeast Asian Games gold winner Aloysius Yapp of Singapore, 10-5, while Feliciano trounced Ahmad Taufiq of Brunei to claim a place in the round-of-eight.

There, Amoroto was battling former world 10-ball champion Ko Ping Chung of Chinese Taipei, who rallied back to edge Austrian Max Lechner, 10-9, while Feliciano was tackling Bosnian Sanjin Pehlivanovic, a 10-5 winner over Spaniard Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, at press time.

Also fighting for dear life was multiple SEA Games king Lee Van Corteza, who clashed with two-time World Pool Masters titlist David Alcaide of Spain as of this writing.

Of the last Filipinos standing, it was the 21-year-old Amoroto, a Taytay, Rizal native, who has been turning heads the most after shocking American legend Shane Van Boening in the elimination round.

Amoroto, of course, is hoping he would spice up that epic upset by winning it all and capping his Cinderella finish.