Garcia vies for World Chinese 8-Ball main event berth

WORLD 9-Ball Championship runner-up Rolando Garcia shoots for a spot in the main event of the prestigious 2018 World Chinese 8-Ball Masters being held at the Olympic Stadium in Qinhuangdao City, China.

Garcia is in Group 6 of the qualifying round along with Jorge Castillo, Klenti Kaci, Dennemont Gaelle, John Roe, Daniel Bleakley, Stephanie Ochoiski and Peter Kinyua.

He will be facing Castillo in the opening round while Kaci faces Gaelle, Roe takes on Bleakley, and Ochoiski collides with Kinyua in the other first- round matches.

Playing in Group 1 are Zak Shepherd, Rumjaun Zayd, Pat Holtz, Katerina Spryrou, Jenner Garcia, Krtistian Phillips, Dorjsuren Batbayar and Denis Grabe while Jason Theron, Sun Dong Ming, Fakhie Gierdien, Radony Ana Rakotoarsoa, Roger Perez, Manuel Lorente and Kevin Soh are in Group 2.

Seeing action in Group 3 are Gregory Mitchell, Wisdom Ndige Alexander Lely, Carlos Garcia, Jorge Llanos, Ryan Fleming, Anastasia Luppova and Faraj Achraf; Group 4 players are Thomas Heal, Yana Shut, Vincent Halliday, Eric Bayhon, Chang Keng Kweng and Andreja Klasovic; and Group 5 participants are Jack Whelan, Nicolas Domingues, Jin Zhongzhe, Justin Campbell, David Kriel, Marc Busterbosch and Delgerkhuu Ankhtuya.

The other players in the qualifying phase are Jean Munyarukiko, Jorge Zaragoza, Mori Manabu, Frederick Gloux, Hoarau Jean Francois and Charlene Chai in Group 7, and Ramon Vilchez Fernandez, Clint Ianson, Capron Daniel, Desmond Goh Chin Teck, Jeffrey Crawford, Ben Rowland and Abbezzot Florent in Group 8.

Only eight slots are at stake in the final qualifying round of the tournament.

Reigning World 9- Ball Championship winner Carlo Biado and 2004 World 9- Ball Championship titlist Alex Pagulayan have already secured their respective berths in the main draw along with other top notch players including defending champion Gareth Potts of Great Britain.

But Pagulayan has reportedly cancelled his participation in the tournament for undisclosed reasons.

The champion gets $ 151,000 while the runnerup earns $ 45,250.