San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour a Hit in Jakarta

San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour a Hit in JakartaReyes Escapes Upset; Valle, Wu Advance to QuarterfinalsNumber-one seed Efren “Bata” Reyes proved that he wasn’t just a magician—he also showed that he was an escape artist as well after surviving two close calls during the historic first day of the San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour at the packed Hanggar Billiard and Recreation Center in Jakarta.The Filipino struggled past former World Pool champion Kunihiko Takahashi of Japan 9-8, then came from behind to edge hometown bet Robby Suarly 9 – 8 in the second round and advance to the quarterfinals of the event organized by ESPN STAR Sports.The player known as “The Magician” trailed Suarly 7-8, but the Indonesian made a crucial error in the 16th rack as the cue ball fell on the side pocket. Reyes then capitalized on his opponent’s miscue as he took the next two racks to close out the match. Reyes will meet Kuo Po Cheng of Chinese Taipei in the round of eight.
Joining Reyes in the quarterfinals are Singapore leg winner Gandy Valle and runner-up Wu Chia Ching of Chinese Taipei. Valle started the day with a masterful 9-2 victory over Au Siu-Wai of Hong Kong, then followed it up with a nail-biting 9–8 triumph over countryman Francisco “Django” Bustamante. The 31-year-old native of Davao City will next face Yang Ching–Shun of Chinese Taipei.Not to be outdone, Wu also booked a quarterfinal berth following a pair of impressive victories. The 16-year-old Wu defeated Chan Keng Kwang 9–7 in the first round, then outplayed fellow Taiwanese Chao Fong Pang 9–5. Interestingly, Wu also eliminated Chao during the Singapore leg. Wu’s quarterfinal opponent will be Wanshana Poomjaeng of Thailand.Toh Lian Han of Singapore likewise made his way to the quarterfinals after disposing Muhammad Zulfikri of Indonesia 9–8. Toh will take on Satoshi Kawabata of Japan.For more information on the Tour, please check out www.asian9-balltour.com. For the latest schedules and program information on ESPN STAR Sports, catch us on the net at www.espnstar.com.The San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour is sanctioned by the Asian Pocket Billiard Union and organized by ESPN STAR Sports’ Event Management Group (EMG) in association with the All Indonesian Billiards Association. San Miguel Beer is the title sponsor for the Tour.Iwan Simonis and Aramith supply the official tablecloth and official balls respectively. Brunswick Metro is the official pool table, Mandarin Oriental Jakarta is the official hotel and Hanggar Billiard & Recreation Center is the official venue. STAR Sports is the official broadcaster. The 2005 Tour will go to Singapore, Jakarta, Kaohsiung and Manila. Besides the total prize money of US$200,000, the top 10 players on the Tour Order of Merit every year will directly qualify into the World Professional Pool Championships.Visit InsidePOOL for the latest news on the San Miguel Asian 9-Ball Tour.

Pool Balls and Billiard Balls at LOW PRICES!!!

About the Author:
Inside Pool Magazine publishes billiard news. Definitive Synergy creates pool and billiard management software.