Amit topples world champ, gains finals

MANILA, Philippines -- Rubilen Amit added defending champion Kim Ga-young of South Korea among her two victims on Sunday to reach the finals of the 2007 Amway WPA Women’s World 9-Ball championship at the Taipei Gymnasium in Taiwan.

Proving that her earlier conquest of world No. 1 Allison Fisher of Britain was no fluke, the former call center employee from Taguig City ended the two-year title reign of Kim in the quarterfinals, 7-2, before clinching the first championship slot with a 9-5 rout of Japan’s Yukiko Hamanishi in the semifinals.

Pan Xiaoting of China and Tsai Pei-chun of Chinese Taipei were clashing for the other title slot at press time.

First prize in the race-to-11 finals is $20,000 with the runner-up getting $10,000.