Reyes Cup 2026: Sanchez Ruiz, Van Boening and Gorst pull Rest of the World level 2-2 with Team Asia in Makati
Team Asia won the team match and opening doubles, but Rest of the World hit back with two 5-1 wins to leave the Reyes Cup tied 2-2 after day one.
Two-time holders Team Asia made the perfect start to their bid for a third straight Reyes Cup on Thursday, 15 October, but Rest of the World hit back late to leave the 9-ball team event tied 2-2 after the opening day at the Makati Coliseum in Metro Manila. Asia won the team match and the first doubles before Francisco Sanchez Ruiz and the pairing of Shane Van Boening and Fedor Gorst each won 5-1 for Ralf Souquet's side.
Asia take the early lead
Francisco Bustamante's Team Asia won the opening team match 5-3. Vietnam's Duong Quoc Hoang set the tone with a break-and-run in the first rack, and the point was sealed by Indonesia's Albert Januarta at the break and Carlo Biado at the table.
Biado then teamed up with fellow Filipino Robbie Capito to beat Joshua Filler and Aleksa Pecelj 5-1 in the first doubles, with the home pair putting together two break-and-runs. At 2-0, Asia looked on course for the kind of dominant start they enjoyed in 2025, when they beat the same opponents 11-3.
Sanchez Ruiz and Van Boening-Gorst strike back
The momentum shifted in the only singles match of the night. Spain's Sanchez Ruiz beat Duong 5-1 to put Rest of the World on the board, having already produced a jump shot on the six ball to level the earlier team match before Asia pulled away.
The visitors then levelled the overall score in the second doubles, with Van Boening and Gorst beating the Asian pair of AJ Manas and Januarta 5-1. Manas, the 2025 MVP, and Januarta were left to rue simple misses and poor positional play, according to Absolute Pool's assessment.
Van Boening had been the most error-prone of the visiting players in the team match, so his strong finish alongside Gorst was a welcome boost for Souquet.
Format and what's at stake
The first team to 11 points wins the Reyes Cup. Each of the first three days opens with a team match, followed by a mix of singles and doubles, and every player must feature at least once in the second, third or fourth matches each day. If the score reaches 10-10, the captains must each nominate a doubles pairing for a deciding match.
Each member of the winning team receives USD 20,000 and each runner-up USD 10,000, from a total prize fund of USD 150,000. Asia beat Europe 11-6 in the inaugural 2024 edition and Rest of the World 11-3 in 2025.
Day two in Malaysia time
Matches start at 7pm local time each day from Thursday to Sunday, 18 October. With the Philippines and Malaysia sharing the same time zone, day two begins at 7pm Malaysia time on Friday, 16 October, and the event concludes on Sunday, 18 October.
The full rosters are: Team Asia (captain Francisco Bustamante) - Carlo Biado, Duong Quoc Hoang, AJ Manas, Robbie Capito and Albert Januarta. Rest of the World (captain Ralf Souquet) - Joshua Filler, Shane Van Boening, Aleksa Pecelj, Francisco Sanchez Ruiz and Fedor Gorst.
Key takeaways
- The Reyes Cup is tied 2-2 after day one in Makati.
- Asia won the team match 5-3 and Biado-Capito beat Filler-Pecelj 5-1.
- Sanchez Ruiz beat Duong 5-1, then Van Boening and Gorst beat Manas and Januarta 5-1.
- The first team to 11 points wins; day two starts at 7pm Malaysia time on 16 October.
FAQ
What is the Reyes Cup score after day one? Team Asia and Team Rest of the World are level at 2-2.
Where is the 2026 Reyes Cup being played? At the Makati Coliseum in Metro Manila, Philippines, from 15 to 18 October.
What time does each day start in Malaysia? Play starts at 7pm local time, which is also 7pm in Malaysia, as both countries are on UTC+8.
Sources: AZBilliards, Absolute Pool