Bata retains Warsaw crown

Efren "The Magician" Reyes successfully retained his World Pool League title at the NOT Building in Warsaw, Poland after a solid 9-4 victory over reigning world 9-ball champion Earl "The Pearl" Strickland of the United States.

Reyes won a check for $15,000 (P.8 million) while Strickland, who came back so well following a slump in form on Saturday, took home $10,000. Strickland defeated Francisco "Django" Bustamante for the world 9-ball title in Cardiff, Wales, last July.

The historic Warsaw venue was packed to the rafters and the appreciative crowd were treated to some superb play from the legendary Reyes.

The Filipino cue artist, winner of the world 9-ball crown in 1999, won the lag and made a ball off the break but with no shot, he played safe. Breaking his rule on the jump shot, Strickland brilliantly pocketed the three ball but couldn’t play safe. Reyes then cleared up to take the lead.

In the next, Reyes fouled on the one ball and with ball in hand, Strickland leveled things at one rack apiece. Strickland dropped a ball off the next break but missed the pink five, leaving it over the pocket from where Reyes completed a tricky clearance to take the rack.

Reyes broke and ran the next to go up, 3-1, but Strickland got back to the table in the fifth. However, he missed the two ball and Reyes cleared to further increase his lead.

There were more woes for Strickland in the next as Reyes, egged on by a small but wildly-cheering Pinoy contingent, including Ambassador Andy del Rosario, ran out to get into a 5-1 lead.

Strickland stopped the run in the next rack when Reyes came up dry on the break. Strickland missed the one ball and Reyes put him into a snooker. Strickland though, blasted in a superb 1/9 combo to take the rack.

The combination shot was used to good effect in the next rack when following a safety exchange, Strickland whacked down a 5/9 to cut the deficit to five-three.

Strickland made a ball on his next break and immediately saw a chance of a 1/9 combination, which he executed superbly to go just one rack behind.

In the next, without a great position on the two ball, Strickland slashed at it but it fell safe. Strickland started to pot the balls via combinations on the two but bounced the cue ball all over the table while trying to pot it. He played a loose safety in the five ball but Reyes cleared from there to go two racks ahead.

Reyes got a ball down off the break but allowed Strickland back in as nothing was on. Strickland couldn’t find any opening and eventually Reyes cleared the table.

Nothing on the break for Reyes allowed Strickland a chance to save himself as he laid a snooker on the one ball but Reyes brilliantly cannoned the cue ball off the one and into the brown seven to set up another clearance.

The final rack of the tournament saw plenty of safety exchanges, but with the momentum with him, Reyes ran the last few tricky balls to seal the title as the crowd in the arena went nuts.

Afterwards, Reyes thanked the supporters in the crowd: "It is always great having Filipinos to support me in the audience but I would like to thank the Polish people who have been wonderful to me.

"Despite it being a new sport here, the fans really know what is a good shot and what is not and they make a brilliant atmosphere in the arena. I will look forward to coming back next year to defend my title for a third time."