Vietnam’s top pool player continues to help Asia take commanding lead over Europe at Reyes Cup

The second day unfolded perfectly for Philippine pool legend Efren Reyes and his team, as Asia won all four matches, putting them just four victories away from clinching the title, with the tournament still having 11 matches left.

Hoang, 37, played in a team match and a doubles match alongside Singapore’s Aloysius Yapp on Wednesday evening.

In the first team match, Hoang faced world number three Francisco Sanchez Ruiz when Asia was trailing 0-2. Hoang initially misplayed the number 3 ball, leaving it close to the pocket but the cue ball was blocked. Sanchez was forced to make a jump shot but missed. Hoang capitalized on the opportunity and cleared the table to reduce the score to 1-2.

With Asia leading 4-3 later in the match, Hoang returned for a rematch against Sanchez in the eighth game. In a tactical battle over the number 1 ball, Hoang ultimately forced an error from Sanchez, who exposed the ball in a great position, allowing the Vietnamese player to clear the table and secure Asia’s first win of the day, bringing the overall score to 4-2.

The singles match between world number 11 Ko Pin-yi and Sanchez was equally intense. Ko, known as the “Prince of Pool,” won the final two games with a masterful performance to end the match 5-3 and extend Asia’s lead to 5-2.

Hoang then teamed up with Yapp to face top 7 players David Alcaide and Eklent Kaci in the doubles match. The Asian duo dominated early, leading 3-0 and eventually finishing with a 5-2 victory. Despite occasional mistakes, Hoang and Yapp complemented each other well, with the Vietnamese delivering a flawless performance in the final game to seal the win, pushing Asia’s lead to 6-2.

In the next singles match, Carlo Biado defeated Mickey Krause 5-3, increasing Asia’s lead to 7-2 at the end of the day. During the match, 70-year-old coach Reyes was seen briefly dozing off, as Manila prepared for a new day.

The 2024 Reyes Cup, a Europe vs Asia tournament, will run from Oct. 15 to 18, featuring 20 matches, each with a maximum of nine games. A team can earn one point for winning five games and the first team to reach 11 points will be crowned champion.

Hoang, who was picked for the final wild card slot in Team Asia, has been a standout performer, winning both his singles and doubles matches after two days of competition.