Bata loses old magic, settles for second

Efren "Bata" Reyes failed to weave his magic and lost to Charlie Williams in the finals of the Big Apple 9-ball Challenge Sunday at the Master Billiard Center in Sunnyside, New York.

Williams actually humbled Reyes twice, taking an 11-9 victory for the "hot-seat" then pulling off an 11-8 victory in the finals. The Florida-based Williams, who averted an all-Filipino finale by beating Jose Parica in the semis, 11-9, went undefeated throughout the tournament and won the top purse of $12,000.

Reyes, who beat Fil-Canadian Alex Pagulayan, 11-7, to arrange a clash with Williams for the hot-seat match, settled for $7,000.

Parica, who nipped Reyes in a recent title clash, ousted newly-crowned International Challenge of Champions winner Francisco "Django" Bustamante, 11-7. He settled for fourth worth $3,000.

Rodney Morris took third place honors and $4,500.

Bustamante and Pagulayan finished tied for fifth and took home $2,000 each.