Close shave by Bata over Chinese foe

HONG KONG — Efren "Bata" Reyes flirted with disaster but pulled through just the same, escaping with a thrilling 9-8 victory over Chinese Fu Jian Bo and barging into the quarterfinal round of the San Miguel Asian 9-ball Tour at the Hong Kong Football Club’s sports hall here yesterday.

It was not a magical win as he used to pull off in his past escape acts of a checkered pool career but a miraculous one as Reyes, who earlier scored a 9-2 romp over Singapore’s Pang Chian Zian in the first round, rose from the brink of a closely-fought race-to-9 duel to prevail in a virtual sudden death that could’ve gone either way.

Actually the match was Fu for the taking after Reyes, breaking for the decider after stealing the 16th rack for an 8-8 count, came up empty-handed as he was in his last three turns. But the lean Chinese cue master crumbled under pressure and missed on No. 1, enabling the Filipino champion, one of the four Puyat Sports stalwarts seeing action here, to seize control and steal the match.

World’s No. 1 and the top seed Francisco "Django" Bustamante, joined Reyes in the quarters by scoring a second straight 9-5 victory, beating Hisashi Yamamoto of Japan after surviving a tough Wang Hua Fong of Taiwan in the featured morning match.

However, the two other Filipinos–Antonio Gabica and Warren Kiamco–failed to sustain their first round romps and fell by the wayside with Gabica bowing to Korean Park Shin Young, 9-6, and Kiamco losing to former two-time world champion Chao Fong Pang of Taiwan.

Bustamante, who finally made it past the second round after two failed bids in Singapore and Vietnam, was scheduled to play in one of two quarterfinal matches against Taiwan’s Hsia Hui Kai late last night. The semifinals, a race to 11 duel, will be held starting at 2:30 p.m. today with the championship set at 7 p.m.

Earlier, Gabica beat another Taiwanese bet Fan Chi Sheng, 9-6, and Kiamco thumped Hong Kong’s Asian Games snooker medalist Fung Kwok Wai, 9-5.

"Pero tsamba pa rin yung tira ko dahil binanda ko lang at sinuwerte dahil pumasok yung dalawang bola," said Reyes, referring to his crucial long bank-shot on No. 1 that subsequently knocked down Nos. 6 and 8 in succession on the corner pocket.

But as Reyes prepared to go for the kill with five balls left on an open table, Fu decided to detach his playing cue while the game is still in progress, a virtual no-no in pool matches, forcing the referee to halt the match.

"Panalo na dapat ako outright dahil ibig sabihin pag tinanggal mo na yung playing cue mo eh surrender ka na," said Reyes. "Kinabahan pa tuloy ako nung ni-resume yung laro."

Whatever, the victory kept Reyes on track for a third straight crown in this event sponsored by San Miguel Beer and organized by ESPN STAR Sports Management Group following his contrasting wins in the first two legs in Singapore and Vietnam.

He faces Japan’s Satoshi Kawabata, who beat Wang Hung Hsiang of Taiwan, 9-3, in the quarters.

"Muntik na talaga ako. Di ko rin akalain na aabot sa ganun pero ayaw lang talagang pumasok ng mga break ko," said Reyes, who was mobbed by the Hong Kong-based Filipinos who took turns in posing for souvenir photos with the man they fondly called "Idol."

Meanwhile, STAR Sports will telecast the event on May 1 starting with the quarterfinals at 3:30 p.m. while the semifinal matches and the championship will be aired on May 2 starting at 2 p.m.