Bata picked to rule world billiards

For Efren "Bata" Reyes, being a world class cue master is one thing. To be popular among the world’s best is another.

In a survey conducted among the top 40 players in the ongoing Admiral World Pool Championship in Cardiff, Wales, Reyes emerged the player they would like to win the world’s premier 9-ball event and the biggest paycheck — $65,000 (P3.5 million) — ever staked in world pool.

Reyes, whose charm and mien have endeared him to the Filipino people and whose exploits have made him a by-word back home, drew 10 votes from among the respondents, including fancied Radoslaw Babica of Poland, one of the only three players who posted a seven-game sweep of the elims, and Mexican Ismael Paez, who lost last year’s crown to Taiwanese Chao Fong-pang.

Francisco "Django" Bustamante came out second in the poll with six votes, further underscoring the respect and regard given to the Filipino players in this event ruled by Reyes in 1999.

Meanwhile, Reyes and Bustamante led the five Filipinos into next round of the championship, telecast live by ESPN Star Sports, where play shifts from round robin to knockout. Reyes battles Tiong Boon Tan of Singapore while Bustamante takes on Tony Drago of Malaysia in two of the featured matches in the round of 64.

The three other local bets who made it to the next round were Leonardo Andam, Ramil Gallego and Antonio Lining but two of the country’s top bets — Rodolfo Luat, the best local finisher (quarterfinalist) last year, and Warren Kiamco, the SEA Games gold medalist in 1999 — were ambushed in a day of changing fortunes.

Reyes closed out the elims with a 5-3 win over American George San Souce as he topped Group 8 with 12 points while Bustamante emerged No. 2 in Group 13 after beating Majid Imran of England, 5-1, and Taiwanese Chin Ching-kang, 5-2.

Gallego capped his amazing romp with victories over the defending champion Chao, 5-3, and Quinten Hann of Australia, 5-4, to top Group I, while Andam, already assured of his berth, dropped his last two matches but still finished second in Group 16, which Lining duplicated later after beating Peter Nielsen of Denmark, 5-2, and Darryl Peach of England, 5-0, in Group 14.

Luat closed out his stint the way he started it, losing two heart-breaking games, this time to Dimitri Jungo of Switzerland, 4-5, and Paul Davies of Wales, 4-5, as he settled for fifth place with 6 points.

Kiamco, on the other hand, bowed to American Corey Deuel, 3-5, and also finished fifth with six points in Group 7.