A native of Davao City in the Philippines, the 31-year-old Valle also said that he dedicated his victory to God, his wife, his 2-year-old son Ralph, and the Filipinos who enthusiastically supported him at the venue.

Wu, whose previous best finish was a quarterfinal appearance in last year’s Manila leg, paid dearly when his break o­n 17th rack failed to drop any balls. Valle then capitalized as he took two straight racks to seize the upper hand 10 – 8.

The Taiwanese teenager managed to close the gap as he made it 10 – 9, but Valle didn’t let his foe get any closer as he finished the job in the 20th rack.   Wu settled for the runner-up prize of US $5,000.

Despite his victory, Valle had high praises for his opponent.  “He’s very young, but he’s so talented. He has a bright future ahead of him,” expressed Valle.

Valle reached the finals after disposing Taiwanese Yang Ching Shun 11 – 8 in the semifinals, while Wu edged Filipino Antonio Gabica 12 – 10.

After Singapore, the next stops of the 9-ball tour will be Jakarta, Kaohsiung, and Manila. The top 10 players o­n the Tour Order of Merit qualify into the World Professional Pool Championships.

For more information o­n the Tour, please check out www.asian9-balltour.com. For the latest schedules and program information o­n ESPN STAR Sports, catch us o­n the net at www.espnstar.com.

The San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour is sanctioned by the Asian Pocket Billiard Union and organized by ESPN STAR Sports’ Event Management Group (EMG). San Miguel Beer is the title sponsor for the Tour. Iwan Simonis and Aramith supply the official tablecloth and official balls respectively. Brunswick Metro is the official pool table and the Marina Mandarin is the official hotel, Suntec Singapore is the official venue. STAR Sports is the official broadcaster. The 2005 Tour will go to Singapore, Jakarta, Kaohsiung and Manila. Besides the total prize money of US$200,000, the top 10 players o­n the Tour Order of Merit every year will directly qualify into the World Professional Pool Championships.

For the latest information o­n the San Miguel 9-Ball Tour, visit InsidePOOL.