 Francisco Bustamante |
Chicago, Ill. — The only thing that could slow Francisco Bustamante at
the second IPT challenge match was a hiccup in the streaming feed that
broadcast the live action over the Internet. The elder statesman of
Filipino pool was nearly flawless in a 15-8 dismantling of American
Corey Deuel, taking down the winner-take-all $5,000 prize.
Held Jan. 23 at OnAirr Studios in Chicago, the second IPT one-on-one
challenge match — this one billed as the East vs. West showdown — was
dominated by Bustamante, who showed both precise position play and
creativity.
Deuel, who had spent hours on table the night before to perfect his
break, won the lag and quickly broke and ran the first rack. But once
Bustamante got to the table after Deuel missed a tough carom, “Django”
assumed control of the match. He won 8 straight racks, including 5
break and runs.
During Bustamante's streak, the IPT live Internet broadcast was knocked
off the air. According to IPT officials, VitalStream, the streaming
service provider for OnAirr Productions, closed the feed just after 8
p.m CST. Exact details of the technical snafu are not known at this
time, but the broadcast was fully restored by 8:25 p.m.
Up 8-1, Bustamante missed a tricky cut on the 6 ball — his first miss
since the second game. Deuel looked sharp as he worked his way back
into the match. He closed the gap to 11-7, courtesy of a finesse break
that used medium speed to consistently pocket a ball in the side. A
missed combination in the 19th rack, however, allowed Bustamante back
to the table.
Bustamante continued to break up clusters and cleanly navigate racks.
He cleared the table after forcing Deuel to foul, then broke and ran
two straight to reach the hill, 14-7.
After a Deuel miss at 14-8, Bustamante lost position on his way to the
final 8 ball. In the most spectacular shot of the night, he kissed the
8 off the 4 for the victory.
At the conclusion of the match, IPT tour director Deno Andrews
announced the next challenge match will take place March 5. Details
will be released in the next few days.
