Following a fierce four-night competition under the leadership of captain Efren "Bata" Reyes, Team Asia trounced Team Europe by a resounding 11-6 to win the inaugural Reyes Cup trophy.
Even though Team Europe fought hard on the final day, they were unable to overcome the dominant Team Asia, made up of the region’s top cue artists.
Showing their caliber
To secure the coveted 11th victory in the race-to-11 competition, Singapore's Aloysius Yapp delivered the decisive punch by defeating world No. 5 Francisco Sanchez Ruiz 5-1.
Yapp offered a much-needed respite as the hostile Manila audience at Ninoy Aquino Stadium silently groaned as world No. 3 Jayson Shaw singled out Filipino veteran Carlo Biado and Vietnamese Duong Quoc Hoang, taking a 2-1 lead with a daring 3-ball stroke to sink the 9.
After a Rack 5 break, Sanchez Ruiz wasted his last opportunity by missing the 2-ball twice. The second missed was a costly foul that allowed Yapp to take control of the cue ball and use it to plot his winning strategy on the table for a commanding 4-1 lead.
Yapp concentrated on the final task at hand, skillfully planning his sequence before letting out a triumphant cry as the last nine-ball of the tournament vanished from view and entered the annals of history.
Tribute to Reyes
Reyes, who was already retired at the age of 70, captained Team Asia in the Reyes Cup and provided consulting services.
Co-organized by Matchroom Sport, a UK-based sporting events promotion, and Puyat Sports, a longtime local organizer, the event is modeled after the three-decade-old Mosconi Cup, which pits the top teams from Europe and the US against one another.
To represent the host in the nine-ball match, Reyes personally selected Ko Pin Yi of Taiwan, Johann Chua of the Philippines, and Aloysius Yapp of Singapore.
