Reyes amazing win run ends; Kiamco also out

Efren "Bata" Reyes’ amazing winning streak came to an end in the quarterfinal round of the 34th All Japan Championship as he bowed to world pool champion Mika Immonen, 11-10, in Amagasaki City yesterday.

Warren Kiamco hurdled his round of 16 assignment, breezed through the quarters but likewise dropped a similar 10-11 setback to Immonen in the semis that ended the Philippines’ campaign in the tournament.

But Immonen failed to sustain his run of victories over Filipino rivals as he lost the championship to US Open champion Corey Deuel, also via an 11-10 decision. Deuel pocketed the top prize of $15,000.

By beating Reyes, Immonen avenged his loss to "The Magician" last October in the Accu-Stats 8-Ball Invitational and made up for his failure in the Tokyo 9-Ball International, the biggest pool tournament ever won by Reyes. The ace Filipino cue master also won in Warsaw, Poland two weeks ago.

Reyes looked headed for another win in a major tournament when he beat Canada-based Filipino Alex Pagulayan in the round of 32 and then whipped Japan’s Kiyotaka Ohashi, 11-2, in the round of 16. But faltered against Immonen, enabling the young Finnish star to snatch the win in the quarters.

Reyes is scheduled to return to Manila on Thursday, winding up a most successful year in which he pocketed over P12 million in prize money, winning four major tournaments and two one-on-one duels against Earl Strickland in the $15,000 Color of Money Part II duel at Casino Filipino and the $10,000/-LG Flatron Billiard Challenge against top women’s player Jeanette Lee last Nov. 3.