THEY have proven themselves as top solo cue artists by each winning the World Pool Championships. Joining forces in doubles play, they have dominated two of the four editions of the World Cup of Pool.
Superstars Efren “Bata” Reyes and Francisco “Django” Bustamante team up anew as they go for their third crown in the PartyPoker.net World Cup of Pool starting on Tuesday at the Midtown Wing of Robinson’s Place in Manila.
The country’s pool heroes both said having played together for a number of times gives them a slight edge over 31 other pairs eager to unseat them and claim the $60,000 top purse.
“Halos araw-araw ang training namin at malaking bagay din na world champion ang kakampi ko,” said Reyes, referring to his kumpadre who just pocketed the World 9-Ball crown in Doha, Qatar, in July.
“Kung manalo ulit kami rito, halos lahat ng suwerte sinalo na ng kumpare ko,” added Reyes, the 1999 world 9-ball champion.
The two won the inaugural World Cup of Pool in 2006 and topped it again last year.
“Talagang pinaghahandaan namin ito, lalo na ako, nag-eensayo na ako mabuti sa breaks ko kasi last time marami akong illegal breaks,” said Bustamante in Monday’s press launch in Manila.
Out to get back at the country’s No. 1 pair is former world champion Ralf Souquet of Germany, who will be playing with Oliver Ortmann for the first time.
“It’s always been a great opportunity to play against the best billiards players in the world,” said Souquet, who teamed up with Thorsten Hohmann to finish second to Reyes and Bustamante, 11-9, in last year’s event.
“This will be my first time to team up with him [Ortmann] and playing doubles is very much different compared to playing singles. Sometimes, it takes out your momentum because you play every other shot,” he added.
“Our goal is to improve our finish from last year, and that’s win the finals,” said Ortmann, the 2007 World Straight Pool champion.
The tournament, which has Solar Sports as its official broadcaster, will use a scotch doubles format, winner breaks. The first and second rounds are race to eight while the quarterfinals and semifinals are race to nine. The final match is a race to 11 with the loser settling for $30,000.
The other Philippine pair is Roberto Gomez and Dennis Orcollo, who will also try to upstage their fancied compatriots in the five-day event that offers a prize pot of $250,000.
“Hindi tayo makakasiguro kasi nandito ’yung magagaling na billiards players from Europe at China,” said Orcollo. “Pero sa atin, malaking pressure kasi sa Pilipinas tayo maglalaro pero gagawin namin ang lahat para manalo.”
Gomez said playing in the tournament would entail a big adjustment as he is used to playing late at night.
“Two weeks na akong nag-eensayo sa umaga kasi usually, ganoong oras tulog pa ako kasi tuwing gabi ako madalas maglaro,” said Gomez, who placed second in the 2007 World Pool Championship also in Manila.
Other countries seeing action are Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, China, Croatia, England, Finland, France, Holland, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Malta, Poland, Qatar, Russia, Singapore, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, the United States and Vietnam.
Reyes and Bustamante open their title-retention bid against the Thai pair of Nitiwat Kanjanasri and Surathep Phoochalam at 6 p.m., while Orcollo and Gomez debut on Wednesday against Carlo Dalmatin and Philipp Stojanovic of Croatia also at 6 p.m.
