Bata cops 9-ball title, $10,000 in Las Vegas

Efren "Bata" Reyes defeated Neils Feijen of the Netherlands, 10-7, in the finals Friday of the second annual Gabriel’s Las Vegas 9-Ball Open to win the title and $10,000 first prize.

"The Magician," installed in the Hall of Fame of Billiards Congress of America last month, advanced to the championship match against Feijen by beating Charlie Williams in the winners’ side, thus avenging his loss to the "Korean Dragon" in the finals of the Big Apple 9-Ball Challenge in New York last week.

Francisco "Django" Bustamante, Reyes’ Puyat Sports teammate who won the $50,000 winner take all International Challenge of Champions in Connecticut Aug. 14, dropped out of the competition after losing to Mika Immonen of Finland.

The Gabriel’s Las Vegas Open was held at Riviera Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada.