‘Not just like the previous days anymore’

Francisco ‘Django’ Bustamante, 62, acknowledges that Father Time has caught up with him as he falls to rival Earl Strickland within the closing of the WNT Legends exhibition event

MANILA, Philippines – Age has gotten the higher of Filipino pool legend Francisco “Django” Bustamante. 

Bustamante, 62, admitted that Father Time has caught up with him as he fell to rival Earl Strickland, 11-6, within the closing of the WNT Legends exhibition event on Friday, January 23, on the Gateway Mall in Quezon Metropolis.

“It feels completely different whenever you’re getting older. However there’s nothing you are able to do about it. That’s simply how it’s. It’s not just like the previous days anymore,” Bustamante stated in Filipino.

“It was very nice as a result of all of us obtained to see one another once more, however the not-so-great half was my shotmaking within the finals. It was terrible.”

Bustamante, a World 9-Ball Championship winner and a World Cup of Pool champion with Efren “Bata” Reyes, was so prolific in his heyday that Strickland stated it was maybe solely the fifth or sixth time he had overwhelmed the Filipino.

One in every of Strickland’s most memorable wins over Bustamante got here throughout the closing of the 2002 World 9-Ball Championship, the place the American clinched a 17-15 victory.

“[Django is] an exceptional participant, method underrated, however I understand how good he’s as a result of nobody has overwhelmed me the best way he has overwhelmed me,” the 64-year-old Strickland stated. 

Within the WNT Legends title conflict, Strickland constructed an early 4-0 lead earlier than Bustamante fought again by taking 5 of the following six racks to equalize at 5-5.

Nevertheless, it was Strickland who dominated within the endgame as he constructed a commanding 10-6 benefit within the race-to-11 affair.

Bustamante then bungled a shot on the eight ball within the closing rack, paving the best way for the uncommon Strickland triumph.

“It appeared like when he would get lengthy and hard, he was in bother. And it exhibits,” Strickland stated. “It appeared that he couldn’t hit a few photographs I believe he shouldn’t miss, however the nerves play a task.”

In the meantime, German icon Ralf “The Kaiser” Souquet edged Reyes within the battle for third, 11-9. 

Along with his again in opposition to the wall and an opportunity to tug stage on the hill, Reyes took an excessive amount of time on the 5 ball and incurred a foul as Souquet ran out the desk to take the victory. – Rappler.com