Ramil Gallego goes for the win against Rashid Al Mari of Quatar in Friday’s third round action at the World Ten-Ball Championship. Gallego won, 9-1, to arrange a date with Marlon Manalo for one of the Round-of-64 berths. (Photo by BOB DUNGO JR.)

Reigning Asian Games gold medalist Antonio Gabica stamped his class over Canadian Erik Hjorleifson, 9-2, Thursday night to become the fourth Filipino to march into the knockout stage of the second World Ten-Ball Championship Thursday at the World Trade Center in Pasay City.

Leading 4-0, Gabica, also the defending Southeast Asian Games champion, gave Hjorleifson just two racks the rest of the way to join Lee Van Corteza, Dennis Orcullo and Warren Kiamco in the next stage of the 128-field tournament.

Corteza scored an impressive 9-0 shutout win over Yang Ching-Shun of Taiwan, while former world No. 1 Orcullo defeated Thomasz Kaplan of Poland, 9-5.

Kiamco, on the other hand, marched into the next stage without breaking a sweat, winning by default over compatriot Michael Feliciano.

“Kailangan at least anim ang pumasok sa atin sa round-of-64,” said Corteza shortly after beating the reigning Asian money-game king.

“Sana mas marami pa ang makapasok at hindi kami maglaban-laban,” added Corteza winner of seven gold medals in the Southeast Asian Games from 1999 up to 2005.

Two more Filipinos are sure to cruise into the next level as Jeffrey De Luna was playing compatriot Jomar De Ocampo in the loser’s bracket, while Antonio Lining was also battling against Carlo Biado in the winner’s bracket as press time.

Five more Filipinos could enter the next stage should they beat their foreign rivals in the loser’s bracket last Friday.

Double world champion Ronnie Alcano was set to face Cheng Tsung-Hua of Taiwan, while Elvis Calasang was to battle Vincent Facquet of France. Emil Martinez was to meet Marcus Chamat of Sweden, Jericho Banares was set to clash against Sandor Tot of Serbia and Marlon Manalo against Ramil Gallego, who trounced Rashid Al Mari of Quatar, 9-1, in the third round.

Others who moved into the next round were Kuo Po-Cheng, Kenny Kwok of Hong Kong, Neils Feijin of Netherlands, Naoyuki Ooi of Japan, Rusian Chinakhov of Russia, Ignacio Chavez of Mexico, and Fu Jianbo of China.