Filipino bets Roberto Gomez and Jeff de Luna yielded contrasting results to kick off the 2021 World Pool Championship in Milton Keynes, England on Sunday, June 6.

Gomez secured his last 64 seat following back-to-back wins, while De Luna will fight for his tournament life after dropping his first-round match.

Qualifying for the World Pool Championship as a continental federation invitee, Gomez started his campaign with a narrow 9-8 win over Stewart Colclough of England in the first round.

Gomez then held off 2016 champion Albin Ouschan of Austria, 9-7, in their winners’ classification duel to reach the last 64.

Down 0-8, Ouschan put the Filipino on his heels by taking the next seven games before Gomez rediscovered his groove to clinch the victory in their race-to-nine encounter.

Meanwhile, De Luna absorbed a 5-9 defeat to Dimitri Jungo of Switzerland as he got relegated to the losers’ round, where he will face Jasmine Ouschan of Austria on Monday, June 7.

De Luna needs to beat Ouschan to advance and set up a losers’ classification match with Mark Gray of the United Kingdom, with the winner clinching a coveted spot in the last 64.

A total of 128 players are currently competing in the World Pool Championship, where a $250,000 prize pool is at stake. – Rappler.com