Bata on course for fifth crown

Efren "Bata" Reyes stayed on course for his sixth major title this year as he beat Canada-based Filipino Alex Pagulayan, 9-5, yesterday in one of the round-of-32 matches in the 34th All Japan Championship at the Hotel New Archaic Hall in Amagasaki City in Japan.

But while Reyes continued to flash vintage form, the other top Filipino players fumbled and tumbled out of the round of 16 with only Warren Kiamco emerging as the only other Pinoy bet after trouncing a Taiwanese rival via a similar 9-5 victory.

Francisco "Django" Bustamante, Rodolfo Luat, Antonio Lining and Ramil Gallego failed to make it from the losers’ bracket and were eliminated.

Reyes, who won last week’s World Pool league in Warsaw, Poland where he beat British snooker ace Steve Davis in the finals, and Kiamco, who lost to Reyes in the semifinals of the Tokyo 9-Ball International, the biggest tournament in the history of pool, are among some of the best pool players in the round of 16.

Also advancing were world pool champion Mika Immonen, US Open titlist Corey Deuel and five-time US Open and world champion Earl "the Pearl" Strickland, all of whom are out to stop "The Magician’s" incredible winning streak.

Reyes has already won five major tournaments this year and a unique one-on-one match against ladies star Jeanette Lee to pocket prize money of over P12 million.