Asia have been crowned the inaugural Reyes Cup champions in Manila, Philippines following an emphatic 11-6 victory over Europe, becoming the firsts to succeed in pool’s newest rivalry.
Aloysius Yapp fittingly sunk the winning nine ball to cap off an unbeaten week in his singles and doubles matches, therefore receiving the MVP award as he reigned victorious alongside Johann Chua, Carlo Biado, Ko Pin-Yi and Duong Quoc Hoang.
Asia, led by legendary captain Efren Reyes, held a seemingly unassailable 9-3 advantage heading into the final day in the Filipino capital, with Singapore’s Yapp and Vietnam’s Duong having particularly attracted attention and guided their team into a six-point lead.
Despite David Alcaide executing a table-length bank on the nine ball on his way to denying Johann Chua in Friday’s opening match, Duong and Ko restored Asia’s superiority in beating Francisco Sanchez Ruiz and Mickey Krause.
Duong pulled off a couple of clutch pots alongside Ko as the pair moved their team onto the cusp of history, although Jayson Shaw forced the Asians to wait for their moment in the limelight as he swept aside both Carlo Biado and Duong to reduce the deficit.
Shaw was excelling in front of the boisterous crowd but his wins proved nothing more than consolation prizes, as Yapp produced a clinical display to thrash Sanchez Ruiz 5-1, vanquishing any remaining European hopes and ensuring that Asia drew first blood in the annual battle.
Yapp executed a superb three-nine combination with distance in the third rack as well as a difficult cut on the same ball as he moved onto the hill, before break and running in composed fashion to seal an historic triumph.
The Singaporean potted the winning nine ball as chants of MVP serenaded around the Manila auditorium, before his teammates rushed into the arena to celebrate their achievement, all beaming with smiles as Reyes received the glittering trophy.
Yapp, Duong, Biado, Ko and Chua will forever be remembered as the first-ever Reyes Cup winners, and Asia will defend their crown next year. Whether they attempt to go back-to-back over Europe or encounter the Americans remains to be determined.
Europe and the USA will renew rivalries in the Mosconi Cup from November 30 until December 3 at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida as the Europeans vie to seal their fifth successive title.
