In-form Bata, Django launch World Pool bids

Efren "Bata" Reyes and Francisco "Django" Bustamante open their bids against Tom Storm of Sweden and Dutch Nick Van Den Berg, respectively, Saturday in the World Pool Masters at the Hotel Zuiderduin in The Netherlands.

The top Filipino cue masters are hoping to sustain their momentum from two tournaments in the United States which they ruled heading into this weekend’s event which offers a total purse of $62,000 and drew 16 of the world’s top players.

Reyes, who won the Gabriel’s Las Vegas Open last week, faces Storm confident of a victory in their race-to-8, winner’s break format and a smooth passage into the next round of the straight knockout single elimination event.

The power-breaking Bustamante, who ruled the International Challenge of Champions in Connecticut three weeks ago, is likewise fancied over Van Den Berg, although the Filipinos are set to clash in the semifinal round should they win their first two matches.

Loaded with talent, the amiable Reyes, a former world 9-ball champion, also hopes to ride on the luck that a birthday brings as he goes up with Storm a day after he turned 49.

Focus will also be on Ralf Souquet, a four-time winner here, who tangles with top Finnish player Mika Immonen in an early clash of the titans in the first day of action.

Other first round matches pit Englishman Steve Davis against Alex Lely, also of The Netherlands, and Taiwanese Hsia Hui-kai against Niclas Bergendorff of Sweden.

The five other opening round pairings will be played in the second day with Dutch Rico Diks going up against reigning world 9-ball champion Thorsten Hohmann of Germany, American Earl Strickland clashing with Dutch Niels Feijen and Canada-based Filipino Alex Pagulayan colliding with Tony Drago of Malta.