'BATA' REYES SHOWS GLIMPSES OF MAGIC AS HE WINS 'MAKE IT HAPPEN' 1-POCKET INVITATIONAL
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 07 Jun 2016
63 year old Efren ?Bata? Reyes pulled off some of his magical shots to defeat America?s top player, the much younger 32 year old Shane Van Boening to win the ?Make It Happen? One-Pocket Pool Championships at the Simonis Arena in Edison, New Jersey.
With his 4-3 victory over Shane Van Boening, the greatest pool player of all-time proved that despite the passing of the years, he still had the magical touch that enabled him to score a monumental victory.
AZ Billiards reported that in the tune up match on Sunday afternoon Reyes foreshadowed the finals to come when he ran eight and out in beating Van Boening and evening their records in this event at 4-1. As a result, there would be no ties ? the winner of the Make It Happen Invitational would be the player with the best record. And Reyes whose career was championed by the Puyat brothers, Aristeo ?Putch? Puyat and former congressman ?Popit? Puyat through the years, prevailed.
Below is the AZ Billiards rundown on the games.
GAME 1
The match opened with Van Boening scratching on his break, but he did not leave Reyes with a shot. After Van Boening hung a bank, Reyes kicked it in, erasing Van Boening?s foul. Reyes then fouled but Van Boening sold out and Reyes made a ball ? so after several innings they were both scoreless. Van Boening ran two and, after Reyes missed a bank, he ran six and out to win game one.
GAME 2
Van Boening sold out and Reyes ran four balls. Reyes then played an intentional foul and Van Boening fouled as well, so the score was now 3 to -1 in Reyes? favor. Reyes made a bank into a double carom (!) and ran five and out to even the match at 1-1.
GAME 3
Van Boening blundered with a scratch and Reyes ran four, made a combo/carom, and then completed his run of eight and out.
GAME 4
Van Boening left Reyes with a combo and Reyes made it to take a 1-0 lead. Van Boening then left Reyes with another combo and he made it, igniting a run of seven and out to win the game, 8 to -1. Reyes now led in the match 3 games to 1.
GAME 5
Van Boening made a combo, but was a bit unlucky as he had no other shot. Reyes made a ball for Van Boening and jawed a ball in his own pocket. Reyes later made that ball to trail in the game, 2 to 1. Reyes then sold out on a safety and Van Boening ran two balls. Reyes replied with a bank, but then missed badly and Van Boening ran four and out to win the game, 8-2. He now was behind in the match, 3-2.
GAME 6
Van Boening made a ball for Reyes, then in a subsequent turn he left Reyes with a shot and Efren ran four before hanging up a ball. Van Boening made that ball for Reyes, who was now ahead, 6-0. After Van Boening left Reyes with a shot, he made it, but then passed on a long shot that could have won the game, and the momentum changed. Van Boening opened his six ball run with a long rail bank, a long stop shot, and another bank. After Reyes left a ball near his own pocket, Van Boening made a super crossover bank to tie the score at 7-7. Van Boening left a ball near his pocket and he made it to win the game after Reyes? takeout had left him with a shot. The match was now tied at three games each.
GAME 7
Reyes took an intentional foul, but Van Boening left him with a shot and he ran four to take a 3-0 lead. Reyes was provided with another offensive opportunity and he took full advantage of it, running five and out to win the game, 8-0, and the title.
Reyes had beaten Van Boening, who is arguably the best player in the world, in the game that Reyes is undisputedly the best ever. As a measure of Reyes? firepower, nine of his 21 games won ended with long runs of 7 (3 times) and 8 (6 times), underscoring his skill at the game?s strongest move ? running lots of balls!
FINAL RECORDS
Efren Reyes ------------ 5? 1
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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