Reyes, the 1999 titlist who’s been installed by London bookmakers as second favorite behind American Earl Strickland, lived up to expectations anew, making it four in a row to gain solo lead in Group 8 as he repulsed Hungary’s Sandor Tot and Norway’s Raymond Hauge.
Reyes, who won his first two games over Japan’s Hishasi Yamamoto and Wales’ Rob McKenna in Day One, scored a scary 5-4 victory over Tot. Result of Reyes’ triumph over Hauge was unavailable.
Leonardo Andam, a veteran US tour campaigner like Reyes, also kept an unblemished record in Group 16, hacking out a third straight win with a 5-0 sweep of Slovak Erculj Matjaz.
Antonio Lining, who split his first two matches, matched Reyes’ two-game romp on a day Rodolfo Luat and Warren Kiamco finally made their presence felt in the tourney with their first victory.
Lining escaped past Dominic Dale of England, 5-4, then rolled over Jeremy Jones of the United States, 5-3, to stay at second behind Thomas Engert (with 3-0 win-loss card) in Group 14.
Luat, the best placer among the Filipinos here last year having reached the quarterfinals, claimed his first win at the expense of Ireland’s Tommy Donlon, 5-1, in Group 6 while Kiamco, a gold medalist in the 1999 SEA Games, barged into the win-column with a 5-2 victory over England’s Joe Johnson in Group 7.
Ramil Gallego, who also split his first two games in Day One, improved his slate to 2-1 in Group 1 also via a 5-1 win over England’s Andy Battams.
It was not all good news for the Filipino bets, though, as Django Bustamante was stopped by England’s Gary Ponting, 1-5. Earlier in the day, the former world 8-ball champion whipped Robbie Suarly, 5-2, in a Group 13 match.
Defending champion Fong Pang Chao of Chinese Taipei also hit the dust, bowing to Australia’s Quinten Hann, 1-5, in Group 1. He bounced back later with a 5-2 win over Sweden’s Tom Storm.
Strickland remained on a roll in Group 2 and so did compatriot Johnny Archer in Group 11 and Ralf Souquet of Germany in Group 10.
Archer and Souquet both have gone four-for-four and Strickland 3 for 3, staying solid contenders for the $65,000 top purse in the rich event.