Efren Reyes proved that he still has some tricks up his sleeve as he held off a run by Demosthenes Pulpul to win the finals of the 2nd Manny Pacquiao Singles event in General Santos City Philippines
Reyes held leads of 5-2 and 10-8, but had problems securing the final rack. Pulpul came back to tie the score at 10-10 and it looked like his event when he made a ball on the break in the final game. Pulpul would only manage to run to the 6-ball though, as he jawed the ball in the pocket and left an out that Reyes took advantage of for the final rack and tournament win.
Pulpul had to thank the pool gods that he was even in the final match with Reyes as he led Carlo Biado in their semi-final match 8-5 but watched Biado come back to knot the score at 8-8. Biado navigated the final rack and fired in a hanger of a 10-ball for the 9-8 win, but he failed to call the 10-ball and was not given credit for the shot. It was a repeat of an earlier controversy that saw American Shane Van Boening penalized for failing to call a 10-ball which led him to unscrew his cue and walk off the tournament floor in disgust.
The doubles event got started on Saturday with 69 teams looking for their share of the $100,000 prize fund available. Jeffrey De Luna & Jeffrey Ignacio are back, and looking for their second major doubles win in the Philippines this year. They will certainly be challenge by marquee teams including Shane Van Boening & Dennis Orcollo, Efren Reyes & Francisco Bustamante, Pin Yi Ko & Ping Chung Ko, Mika Immonen & Rodney Morris and Thorsten Hohmann & John Morra.
