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| Team Asia stands at the billiard table as Team Europe applauds them for a dominant Reyes Cup run. Matchroom Pool |
MANILA--Team Asia scored the needed wins early Saturday to be officially declared the first champion of the Reyes Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
Although Team Europe, behind Jayson Shaw's heroics, gave Team Asia some scare, Aloysius Yapp eventually closed the show for the home side.
Although the team suffered a loss to start Day 4 with Johann Chua bowing to David Alcaide, 4-5, the tandem of Duong Quoc Hoang and Ko Pin-Yi brought Team Asia to championship point after beating the duo of Mickey Krause and Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, 5-3.
Thinking that a Filipino clinching the championship would be too fitting enough, Team Asia decided to have Carlo Biado's match against Shaw move earlier in the schedule right after Duong and Ko's win.
However, Shaw raced to a 4-0 lead, putting much pressure on Biado.
After winning the next three racks, Biado eventually sparked a shot for a reverse sweep and was on the track of sending the match to Hill Hill.
However, he sorrily missed the two-ball as he thought about where to send the cue ball next ahead of hitting the three-ball, and Shaw cleaned up Rack 8 to seal his 5-3 win.
With the momentum in him, Shaw then dominated Duong, 5-2, in the next singles match as Team Europe's total deficit was down to four, 6-10.
However, Yapp bludgeoned Sanchez Ruiz, 5-1, in what would be the final match of the tournament to clinch the title for Team Asia with an 11-6 final winning scoreline.
Yapp, who went unbeaten in either the singles or the doubles, was named the inaugural MVP of the Reyes Cup.
Matchroom Multi-Sport CEO Emily Frazer announced before the start of Night 4 on Friday that the Reyes Cup will have a sequel next year with the Philippines still hosting the event.
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