Team Asia races to 4-0 lead vs Team Rest of the World in rousing Reyes Cup start

MANILA, Philippines, October 17 ------ Team Asia got its Reyes Cup title defense to a smashing start after building a commanding 4-0 lead over Team Rest of the World at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. From singles to doubles to team duels, the quintet of Filipinos Carlo Biado, Johann Chua, AJ Manas, Singaporean Aloysius Yapp, and Vietnamese Duong Quoc Hoang were simply superior as they swept the opening-day matches to gain headway in the race-to-11 contest.

The Asians swiftly took care of business in the team match by scoring a 5-1 win, with only Yapp dropping his game. Even Manas, the youngest player of the tournament at 19 years old, proved his mettle as he delivered a break and run before Biado concluded the match to deliver Team Asia its first point. In the first doubles, Manas and Yapp teamed up to claim a 5-2 victory over the United Kingdom’s Jayson Shaw and Spain’s Francisco Sanchez Ruiz.

A 3-0 lead nearly slipped out of the Asians’ hands when Biado, on the hill at 4-1 in his singles battle against Moritz Neuhausen, saw the 21-year-old German pull within 3-4 after a couple of dry breaks. But by a stroke of luck, Neuhausen committed a foul in the next rack, paving the way for Biado to complete his win as the reigning nine-ball world champion pocketed a one-to-nine combination shot. “It was the first day so there was pressure, but the breaks favored us. We’re happy to be in an advantage. I hope our wins continue tomorrow,” said Biado.

Chua and Quoc Hoang wrapped up the delightful day for Team Asia as they pulled off a 5-4 escape against Americans Fedor Gorst and Skylar Woodward in the second doubles. Gorst, a two-time nine-ball world champion and the current world No. 1, sank big shots one after the other to force a hill-hill after they trailed 2-4, but his foul while shooting for the three ball in the ninth and final game doomed Team Rest of the World and provided Team Asia the opening it needed for the sweep. Chua got the job done as he drained a beeline shot for the nine ball, much to the delight of the home crowd that included fans from Vietnam who came to cheer Quoc Hoang. “Our opponents’ games were a bit down so we took advantage,” said Manas.

Captained by Filipino legend Francisco “Django” Bustamante, Team Asia looks to pad its lead as it battles Team Rest of the World in five more matches on Friday, October 17, with the tournament running until Sunday, October 19. Last year, Team Asia lifted the inaugural Reyes Cup crown with an 11-6 manhandling of Team Europe.

Source: rappler.com