Albert James Manas capped off a flawless Group D campaign at the CTPBA Pro Tour Grand Finals, finishing the round-robin stage undefeated with a perfect 5–0 record.
Manas opened with a strong 7–2 win over Kuo Po Cheng, then survived a tight battle against Chang Sheng Yi, 7–6. He followed that with one of the standout results of the group, handing Ko Pin Yi a 7–5 loss on the TV table.
The momentum continued in the later rounds as Manas cruised past Lin Ta Li, 7–2, before closing Group D with another pressure-packed match, edging fellow Filipino Jefrey Roda, 7–6.While AJ Manas moved through the round-robin stage unbeaten, the rest of the Filipino contingent faced a tougher road in their respective groups.
Carlo Biado showed flashes of form in Group A, picking up wins over Tang Ching Ting, Lo Li Wen, and Hsieh Chia Chen. However, losses to Duong Quoc Hoang and Lu Hui Chan proved costly, leaving Biado just short of advancing despite a competitive showing throughout the day.
In Group C, Johann Chua opened strongly with back-to-back wins against Wang Hung Hsiang and Wiktor Zielinski. Chua stayed in the mix until the final round but suffered narrow defeats to Wu Kun Lin and Hsu Rui An, finishing the group with a 3–2 record that was not enough to reach the Final 8.
Jefrey Roda competed in the same group as Manas and fought through several close matches, including a deciding 7–6 loss to Manas in the final round. Despite moments of strong play, Roda was unable to convert the tight finishes needed to advance from Group D.
With the round-robin stage complete, AJ Manas stands as the lone Filipino player moving on to the knockout rounds, carrying Philippine hopes into the quarterfinals of the CTPBA Pro Tour Grand Finals.
The Final 8 will compete in a single-elimination bracket. Quarterfinals are a race to 10, semifinals a race to 11, and the championship match a race to 13.
Quarterfinals begin tomorrow, January 6, at 12:00 PM (PH time).
All eyes now turn to the knockout stage as AJ Manas looks to extend his unbeaten run when it matters most.