Teen prodigy explodes onto the scene as the Vietnamese cue sports team overwhelmingly defeats the Rest of the World team at the tournament in the Philippines.
Teen genius AJ Manas shone brilliantly on the second day of competition, leading Team Asia to a dominant victory over the Rest of the World team at the 2025 Reyes Cup billiards tournament. AJ Manas – The rising star of Asian billiards Under the bright lights of Ninoy Aquino Arena, a new star in Asian billiards officially emerged. AJ Manas, the 18-year-old Filipino cueist, became the focal point of the second day at the Reyes Cup 2025 by playing a crucial role in helping Team Asia take a commanding 7-0 lead over the Rest of the World. AJ Manas competed in three matches on day two and won all of them, dispelling any doubts about his skill. With top form, Manas not only secured 3 vital points for Team Asia but also finished each match with decisive shots on the 9-ball – all witnessed by billiards legend Efren "Bata" Reyes. The Rest of the World team started match 5 with two wins thanks to the partnership of Gorst and Shaw. However, the duo of Duong Quoc Hoang and Manas quickly leveled the score. Then, veteran Johann Chua defeated Moritz Neuhausen, and Carlo Biado capitalized on Gorst’s mistake to put Team Asia up on the hill (4-2). Although ROW tied it at 4-4, Manas proved his composure by scoring the winning shot on the 9-ball, opening the day’s score at 1-0. Teen prodigy AJ Manas shone brilliantly on the second day. Team captain Francisco Bustamante said, "Team Asia is incredibly strong. Everyone is playing excellently and coordinating perfectly. Whoever comes doesn’t matter; right now, no one can stop Asia." Match 6 was the most thrilling singles match of the day. Fedor Gorst, the world’s number one player, took the lead with a "break and run," but Manas responded immediately with a "golden break." Playing confidently, Manas led 4-2, but Gorst fought back to tie 4-4. In the deciding rack, with only four balls left to win, Gorst committed a foul by his shirt touching the 7-ball – and Manas took full advantage to claim a dramatic 5-4 victory. In match 7, Chua and Manas faced Shaw and Gorst. Although the opposing team scored first due to a mistake by Chua, the partnership of Chua and Manas quickly reversed the situation. Gorst made another error, and Chua executed two skillful jump shots to score important points in racks 6 and 7. Manas finished the match with a shot on the 9-ball, sealing a 5-2 win for Team Asia. "I am very proud of Team Asia. We didn’t expect to dominate like this, but everyone is playing with heart. AJ is truly exceptional – the youngest on the team but playing like a veteran. Anyone who said he wasn’t ready is now wrong," Johann Chua said after the match. "It feels unbelievable. Last year, I was just a spectator dreaming of joining Team Asia – now I’m living that dream. Beating the world’s number one player, whom I admire, is crazy. I’m proud, but the journey isn’t over. I want to help Team Asia win completely," AJ Manas shared. The absolute dominance of Team Asia By the end of the second day, Team Asia had won all 7 matches without letting their opponents score any points. The two remaining matches scheduled for the day – the singles match between Duong Quoc Hoang and Skyler Woodward, and the doubles match of Carlo Biado – Aloysius Yapp versus FSR – Moritz Neuhausen – were postponed to the third day because Team Asia had already gained a huge advantage. Team Asia members include: AJ Manas, Carlo Biado, Johann Chua (Philippines), Aloysius Yapp (Singapore), and Duong Quoc Hoang (Vietnam). Currently, the team is only 4 points away from the championship in the "race to 11" format. If they maintain their current form, a flawless 11-0 victory, unprecedented in Reyes Cup history, is entirely possible. LiveSB.io Reyes Cup 2025 runs from October 16–19 at Ninoy Aquino Arena, Manila, Philippines. The tournament is organized by Puyat Sports and broadcast globally via Sky Sports, One Sport, and WNT TV. After defeating Team Europe 11-6 in the inaugural season last year, Team Asia aims to defend their title perfectly. Shocking victory over Vietnamese female billiards icon, young cueist claims spectacular championship 01/22/2025 17:49 Tran Quyet Chien ascends to world number 1 in billiards 05/24/2024 05:29 Vietnamese cueist wins historic World Cup title in Europe, praised by foreign media as ‘billiards king’ 02/22/2024 16:33 View more Sports news
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