Reyes trains sights on win No. 3 in Asian tour

With back-to-back victories, Efren "Bata" Reyes has his mind and sights fixed on a third straight crown in the 2004 San Miguel Asian 9-ball Tour when pool action resumes Saturday at the Hong Kong Football Club’s Sports Hall in Hong Kong.

Reyes swept the first two legs of the five-stage nation-hopping series sponsored by San Miguel, including the Vietnam joust last month where he came from behind to beat Taiwan ace Chao Fong Pang, 11-9.

That should give the 49-year-old Filipino former world champion, who dominated compatriot Warren Kiamco in the kickoff leg in Singapore, the momentum and motivation to go for a third straight crown in the $50,000 event organized and promoted by ESPN STAR Sports where the top 10 players after five legs will qualify for the World Pool Championships.

Reyes currently leads the elite field in the rankings with 140 points followed by Chao (80), India’s Alok Kumar (80), Kiamco (70), Japan’s Satoshi Kawabata (60), Taiwan’s Cheng Huang Wu (50), Korea’s Park Shin Young (50), Jeong Young Hwa of Korea (40), Francisco "Django" Bustamante (40), Vietnam’s Vu Trong Khai (40), Hisashi Yamamoto of Japan (40) and Thailand’s Chatchawal Rutphae (40).

As in the first two legs, Reyes hopes to get the luck of the draw and then tries to lean on his vast experience in the crucial stages of the tournament which serves as part of his buildup for the coming World 9-ball Championship in July.

But expect the rest of the field, including Bustamante and Kiamco, to likewise go for the win and foil Reyes on his three-peat bid as they try to boost their respective campaigns in the circuit, the only

competition in Asia which gives qualifying points for the world tilt.

From Hong Kong, the tour will go to Taiwan for the fourth leg on May 7-9 before winding up in Manila on May 29-30.