BUCKING a poor start, Efren "Bata" Reyes
outlasted Benjie Guevarra yesterday 9-3 to advance into the
quarterfinals of the 1st Senate President Manny Villar Cup
Billiards Tournament at the Sportscenter in Starmall Alabang.
Reyes trailed 1-3 early in the match but
the 54-year-old former world champion cleaned out eight
consecutive racks to move a step closer to the P400,000 top
purse.
Guevarra had a chance to turn the game
around in the 8th rack but he miscalculated a shot.
"Dapat kasi 5-9 combination ang gagawin
niya pero napakapal ’yung tira niya. Crucial ’yun kasi kung
napasok niya ’yun tie kami sa 4-4, medyo minalas din talaga
siya," said Reyes.
Joining Reyes in the Last 8 of the
tournament organized by the Billiards Managers and Players
Association of the Philippines were Gandy Valle, Dennis
Orcollo, Lee Van Corteza, Warren Kiamko, Antonio Lining,
Jharome Peña and unheralded Elmer Haya.
Valle clobbered Ramil Gallego 9-5, Orcollo
thrashed Ricky Zerna 9-2, Corteza hammered Carlo Biado 9-4,
Kiamko whipped Rodolfo Luat 9-3, Lining edged Mark Mendoza
9-6, Peña turned back Jundell Mazon 9-8 while Haya stunned
last year’s World Pool Championship fifth-placer Joven
Bustamante 9-4.
Quarterfinals matches were going on at
press time, with Reyes battling Pena, Valle up against Lining,
Orcollo clashing with Corteza and Haya taking on Kiamko.
Joey Pardales stretched his unbeaten run to six matches to
show the way in the Search for the New Billiards Idol Sipag at
Tiyaga Edition, which is now down to four contenders.
