Team Asia Claim Victory At The Inaugural Reyes Cup

Team Asia emerged victorious at the inaugural Reyes Cup, defeating Team Europe 11-6 in a thrilling finale at the Ninoy Aquino National Stadium in Manila.

In partnership with Puyat Sports, this landmark event brings Asia’s top players head-to-head against Europe’s finest in a high-stakes competition on the World Nineball Tour. The tournament is being broadcast globally by Cignal TV in the Philippines and Sky Sports in the UK.

Overall Score after Day Two: Team Europe 6-11 Team Asia

· David Alcaide 5-4 Johann Chua

· Francisco Sanchez Ruiz & Mickey Krause 3-5 Ko Pin Yi & Duong Quoc Hoang 

· Jayson Shaw 5-3 Carlo Biado 

· Jayson Shaw 5-2 Duong Quoc Hoang

· Francisco Sanchez Ruiz 1-5

The day kicked off with a nail-biting match between Johann Chua and David Alcaide. Chua’s dry break in the first rack gave Alcaide the early advantage, though a miss on the 2-ball left Alcaide scrambling. Chua had his chance to close the gap, but a twitch on the 7-ball allowed the Spaniard to seize control. 

Chua managed to fight back with a clever bank shot, but another twitch on the 9-ball allowed Alcaide to take a 3-1 lead. Chua then pounced on Alcaide’s scratch with a 2-9 combo and levelled the score after a missed shot from Alcaide. However, a golden break from Alcaide brought the match to a thrilling 4-4, and when Chua scratched in the deciding rack, Alcaide secured the win.

The second match saw Francisco Sanchez Ruiz and Mickey Krause pair up against Duong Quoc Hoang and Ko Pin Yi. After trading break-and-runs in the first two racks, the European duo gained the lead after Team Asia missed a 6-ball. But Ko and Duong responded swiftly, levelling the score and then taking control with a clean sweep of the next rack. A dry break from Duong gave Europe a chance to recover, but Ruiz’s miss on the 2-ball in the seventh rack handed Ko and Duong the opportunity to capitalise, bringing them to the hill. A crucial miss on the 5-ball by Duong nearly gave the Europeans a lifeline, but Ruiz repeated the mistake, allowing Ko and Duong to take the final rack and edge Team Asia closer to victory.

Jayson Shaw, Europe’s Mosconi Cup captain, was up next, facing off against Carlo Biado. Despite breaking dry, Shaw quickly regained momentum after Biado failed to pot the 1-ball, taking the first rack. Shaw then went on a run, clinching the third rack with a 3-9 combo and stealing the fourth after Biado missed a 2-6 carom. Although Biado mounted a comeback by taking two racks due to Shaw’s errors on the 6-ball and 3-ball, Shaw eventually sealed the match with a 5-3 win, keeping Europe’s hopes alive.

Shaw’s momentum continued in his next singles match against Duong Quoc Hoang. Shaw dominated the opening frames, racing to a 4-0 lead as Duong faltered under pressure. Although Duong fought back, winning two consecutive racks, Shaw’s precision proved too much, and he secured his second singles win of the day with a 5-2 victory.

The decisive moment came in the final match of the day, where Aloysius Yapp faced Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, with Team Asia just one win away from clinching the title. Yapp capitalised on a missed 7-ball from Ruiz to claim the first rack, but Ruiz quickly responded after Yapp scratched on the break. However, Yapp took charge, hooking Ruiz on the 3-ball and forcing a foul, setting up a 3-9 combo to win the third rack. A break-and-run from Yapp put him at 3-1, and after forcing another foul from Ruiz, Yapp reached the hill.

With his final break-and-run, Aloysius Yapp secured the match and the Reyes Cup title for Team Asia, capping off an outstanding individual performance that earned him the MVP award for the tournament. Team Asia’s historic win in the first-ever Reyes Cup marks the beginning of a new chapter on the World Nineball Tour, with fans already anticipating next year’s showdown.