Bata reaches Asian 9-ball semis

SINGAPORE — Efren "Bata" Reyes seemed to get better as the stake becomes higher.

The Filipino pool wizard jumped the gun on Satoshi Kawabata to cruise to a 9-3 win and advance into the semifinals of the San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour at the Pool Haven billiards hall in Clark Quay here.

After winning the lag for the first time in the tournament, Reyes immediately run out the first frame to spark a 4-0 start, extending his streak of racks won without a loss to 12 counting his eight racks run to close out his second round date with Singapore’s Bernard Tey.

Reyes could have raced to a 5-0 lead and claimed his 13 straight rack victory had he not muffed what looked like an elementary length-of-the-table shot on the fifth ball that led to Kawabata’s ice-breaker.

"Magaling si Kawabata, tinalo ako n’yan sa tournament sa Japan. Naunahan ko lang kaya nasira ang laro," Reyes told the Filipino scribes brought by the organizing ESPN-STAR Sports to cover the event.

The 34-year old Japanese practically sealed his own doom on the sixth frame.

After sinking the first eight colored balls, Kawabata inexplicably missed a routine straightforward shot on the ninth, leaving the yellow striped ball hanging on the edge of a corner pocket.

"Parang kumersyal ko ‘yung nangyari," said Reyes referring to his television ad for a fast food chain. "Yun ang pinaka turning point ng laro namin. Alam ko sa akin na ‘yung laban."

The second seeded Filipino will face the winner of the all-Taiwanese quarterfinal match featuring Chen Huang Wu and defending Singapore leg champ Yang Ching Shun.

While Reyes’ victory was one-sided, Warren Kiamco’s was a cliffhanger.

The Cebuano pool pro, twice leg runner-up in the tour inaugural last year, entered the semifinals via backdoor, edging Korean fourth seed and world No. 9 Jeong Young Hwa, 9-8.

Kiamco was given up for dead after Jeong’s 5-9 combination made it 7-2 with the Korean breaking on the 10th frame.

Luckily for the Filipino, Jeong failed to pocket the one-ball after sinking the black eight on his serve. Kiamco cashed in with a 1-9 combo of his own.

"Di na ako umasa na manalo nung nag 7-2. Ang sama kasi ng break ko sa umpisa," recalled Kiamco. "Sumugal na ako nung huli, nilakasan ko ang break kahit na mawala ang kontrol ko sa bola."

The gamble paid off as Kiamco sank at least one colored ball without scratching on his last four breaks culminated by a run out on the final frame.

Kiamco will next test the mettle of India’s Alok Kumar, Francisco "Django" Bustamante’s conqueror and a 9-8 winner over two time world champion Chao Fong-Pang of Chinese Taipei in the quarters.

Semifinalists are assured of US$3,000 with the winners getting a shot at the US$10,000 top purse.