Bata, Pagulayan crash out

The Filipino cue masters got ambushed right in the first round of the 2004 PokerMillion.com World Pool Masters with former world 9-ball champion Efren "Bata" Reyes and reigning titlist Alex Pagulayan bowing out with heartbreaking losses to their respective rivals in Egmond aan Zee, Holland.

Reyes, who won in Cardiff in 1999 and came into the race-to-8, knockout-format event oozing with confidence with a victory in the just-concluded On Cue: The Continental Challenge, fell to Niels Fiejen, 7-8.

On the other hand, Pagulayan, winner of the world 9-ball in Taiwan and whom Reyes beat in the final of the Manila event, failed to flaunt his form and absorbed a stinging 5-8 loss to Nick Van Den Berg.

Also getting the boot in the upset-marred opener were American Johnny Archer, who fell to Luc Salvas, 6-8; Swede ace Mika Immonen, who lost to Marcus Chamat, 6-8; and another Filipino bet, Marlon Manalo, who was routed by former world 9-ball champion Thorsten Hohmman.

Even defending champion Tony Drago fell by the wayside in the tournament featuring 16 of the world’s top players, losing to Thomas Engert, 7-8.

Feijen, Europe’s No. 2, overcame the odds as he came from behind to beat the fancied Reyes, while Van den Berg, a Mosconi Cup hopeful, swept in to a 3-0 and never gave Pagulayan room for a comeback.