FRESH from his victory in the Ho Chi Minh leg of the San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour recently, Filipino billiards master Efren 'Bata' Reyes led three other Filipino cue masters in the second leg of San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour, which unwrapped today, June 2 to 4, 2006 at the Central Bangna in Bangkok, Thailand.
The 51-year-old Reyes, acknowledged around the world as "The Magician" because of his incredible shot-making defeated Li He Wen of China, 11-6, in the finals, to went home richer US$10,000 in the inaugural run of the San Miguel Asian 9-ball Tour in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam, the former Saigon City.
The 1999 World Pool champion Reyes and former world no.1 player Francisco 'Django' Bustamante, protege of RP billiards patron Aristeo 'Putch' Puyat and BSCP president Ernie Fajardo, is the top seed in Group 4 and Group 3, respectively.
" I hope to do well in this event." said Reyes, also the overall champion in the first two years of the San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour winning the Manila Tour stop in 2003 and the Singapore, Ho Chi Minh and Taipei stops in 2004.
The winner of each group in the round robin format will advance to the quarter finals in the race -to-nine, alternate break format.
Uprising "Marvelous" Marlon Manalo, heads Group 2 while countryman Ramil 'Bebeng' Gallego, who replace 2004 World Pool Champion Alex "The Lion" Pagulayan, is the top seed in Group 8.
"Ramil (Gallego) is a tested campaigner. Together with Efren, Django and Marlon, our chances in the Bangkok stop of the Asian 9-Ball Tour will be boosted," said Aristeo "Putch" Puyat, local billiards chief patron and president of Puyat Sports.
Reigning world champion and 16-year-old Wu Chia-Ching of Chinese-Taipei has been listed No.1 in Group 1 while compatriot ex-world titlist Chao Fong-Pao is tournament favorites in Group 5.
Also include is Korean sensation Jeong Young-Hwa who leads Group 7 while Ibrahim Bin Amir, a Filipino who hails from Mindanao, and now migrate in Malaysia is listed in Group 6.
