The Reyes Cup is just around the corner, with six coveted roster spots still waiting to find their rightful owners.
Following the points cutoff at the US Open Championship, both Team Asia and Team Rest of the World have confirmed their first two automatic qualifiers.
Robbie Capito topped the Asian field, taking home the $50,000 prize after a stellar runner-up finish in Frisco, Texas. Joining the Hong Kong debutant is reigning world champion Carlo Biado, qualifying as the best Filipino player.
Meanwhile, the ROW team boasts two former world champions fresh off major silverware on American soil: US Open winner Francisco Sanchez Ruiz and Florida Open winner Shane van Boening.
Three wildcards remain on each side to complete the rosters for October’s blockbuster showdown in Manila.
Captain Francisco ‘Django’ Bustamante will be determined to keep the trophy in Asia for a third consecutive year, while Ralf Souquet aims to assemble an unstoppable ‘Avengers’ squad hungry for redemption after back-to-back humbling defeats.
We predict the selections for Team Asia and Team ROW for the Reyes Cup.
Team Asia: Duong Quoc Hoang (Vietnam)
The reigning Premier League Pool champion and the first World Nineball Tour major winner of 2026, it is hard to imagine a Reyes Cup without the GOAT of Vietnam.
He played a pivotal role in Asia’s previous two Reyes Cup triumphs, consistently showing nerves of steel under pressure.
Hoang Sao has had a fine year, cementing himself as a top player on the tour and winning trophies along the way.
With millions of Vietnamese fans cheering him on, he will surely bring a lot of attention and heat to the tournament.
Team ROW: Joshua Filler (Germany)
It is a no-brainer pick for Ralf Souquet, selecting his compatriot, who many have touted as the best player at the moment: Joshua Filler.
The stone-cold killer has been a mainstay in the latter rounds of every major tournament, reaching the European Open semi-finals, the US Open quarter-finals and winning the UK Open.
Filler also excels at the team race format, winning three Mosconi Cup MVP awards in 2017, 2022 and 2023.
Team Asia: Aloysius Yapp (Singapore)
It would be a serious crime to leave out the world number one Aloysius Yapp for the Reyes Cup.
The inaugural Reyes Cup MVP brings clinical cue-ball control, unmatched composure, and invaluable veteran leadership to a young Asian lineup.
Even after a shaky year, the Singaporean remains one of the premier ball-strikers in the world and a cornerstone of Team Asia’s identity.
Team ROW: Fedor Gorst (USA)
Fedor Gorst rediscovered his peak form at the exact right moment for the Reyes Cup run-in.
‘The Ghost’ found his best self at the US Open, knocking out Shane van Boening, but eventually falling short against his kryptonite in Robbie Capito.
Gorst is the most talented and accomplished cueist left on the board for Team ROW, a master of tactical play, potting and jumping who has won multiple world titles and majors.
Team Asia: Albert Januarta (Indonesia)
Following in the footsteps of AJ Manas in the last Reyes Cup, another AJ, Albert Januarta, looks to light up the stage in Manila as a teenager.
At only 18, he has firmly established himself as the top dog on the World Nineball Tour, capturing a ranking title and making consistent deep runs into major knockout stages.
Januarta is a silky and mature cueist with a dream of a left hand, and he can be a sneaky wildcard pick for Team Asia with his youthfulness and energy channelled by the support of his Indonesian fandom.
Team ROW: Jayson Shaw (Great Britain)
When it comes to feeding off hostile crowd noise, channelling energy and swinging arena momentum, nobody does it better than ‘Eagle Eye’ Jayson Shaw.
An eight-time Mosconi Cup winner, he is the absolute staple of nine-ball team play events with incredible charisma, crowd interaction and clutch plays.
Not just a main man on the table, Shaw is the vocal sparkplug in the corner, rallying his troops and turning the tide in pressured moments.
Final Roster
Team Asia: Robbie Capito, Carlo Biado, Duong Quoc Hoang, Aloysius Yapp and Albert Januarta
Team ROW: Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, Shane Van Boening, Joshua Filler, Fedor Gorst and Jayson Shaw
On paper, the predicted Rest of the World lineup has to be given the upper hand with five former US Open champions and multiple world titles. Yet Team Asia has already proven over the past two editions that on home cloth their cohesion, discipline and home support are almost impossible to break.
The stage is set for another unforgettable Thrilla in Manila.
