Taiwanese Jung-lin Chang stopped the winning run of "giant killer" Indian Dharminder Singh Lilly, 11-8, to emerge over-all champion in the 2007 Guinness 9-ball tour stop last Sunday at the Genting Highlands International Convention Center in Malaysia.
Chang, also the inauguration leg champion in Jakarta last April brought home the top prize worth US$15,000 for his victory in Malaysia.
Going to the finals Chang trounced Singaporean Bernard Tey Choon Kiat in the quarters and countryman Fong Pang Chao in the semis to arrange a titular showdown with Dharminder, one of the underdog players here, who trounced Jimmy Jusman and Ricky Yang, both from Indonesia, respectively.
Second leg winner (Kaohsiung, Taipei) Ching-Shun Yang and double world champion Chia-ching Wu of Taiwan, reigning double world ruler Ronato Alcano and 2006 Doha Asian games 9-ball silver medalist of the Philippines failed to advance in the knock-out stage.
Meanwhile, Roberto Gomez, the 2007 The Battle of Scandinavia 9-ball kingpin and Lee Vann Corteza, the reigning Philippine Open winner failed to progress in the final four after losing their quarter-final match.
Two more events remain in this five-city 9-ball event offering US$15,000 for the leg champion. After the Malaysia leg, the tour goes to Singapore on July 13-15, then the fifth and final leg fly will be in Shanghai, China on August 3-5.
The Grand Finale offers top prize US$36,000 on August 31 to September 2 in Bali, Indonesia.
