Pinoy reporter bags 2nd in World Pool Title

Roberto Gomez and Daryl Peach

Former news reporter Roberto Gomez made the Philippines proud in a gut wrenching World Pool Championship final.

In a nail-biting finish, Gomez was nipped by Englishman Daryl Peach 17-15, in the race to 17 rack showdown.

On the way to the finals, Gomez, a qualifer for the championship bundled out the last of the fearsome Taiwanese then returned to end a young Englishman's magical ride to make the 2007 World Pool Championship final at the Araneta Coliseum.

A former ABS-CBN field reporter in Zamboanga, Gomez, 28, kept his own stirring run as he topped Taiwan's Kuo Po-cheng, 11-7, in the quarterfinals then blasted England's Karl Boyes, 11-4, in the semifinals.

Peach won $100,000 prize, and title of World Champion.

On the way to championship round, Gomez whipped Dutch Niels Feijen and Indian Dharminder Singh Lilly in the group matches, eliminated another Dutch Alex Lely in the Round of 64, eased out two-time champion Fong Pang-Chao of Taiwan in the Last 32 then repeated over Feijen in the Final 16.

"I just played my own game, and it's a major feat to just make it all the way to the finals," said Gomez, who barely made the tournament proper by topping a qualifying event.