TEAM West used its mastery in the three-on-three event to fend off the late charge by Team East and secure a thrilling win in the inaugural Kings Cup on Saturday at the Resorts World Manila in Pasay City.
Chemistry was the key in the three-day tournament and the language barrier was a key factor in the final match between Francisco Bustamante and the Ko brothers, world No. 1 Ko Pin Yi and Ko Ping Chung, against the trio of Mika Immonen, Darren Appleton and Albin Ouschan.
Team West was on top, 4-3, after three racks in the triples battle. With the West needing a clean shot to break rack 8, they sailed smoothly without challenges as team captainn Immonen barged onto the final 10-ball and let out a roar of vindication for their victory.
“With eight champions and so many matches, and changing up the player every shot to shot, you really have no idea who will be the final man shooting the event ending ball. It’s a great honor and fortune when you are that guy. In this case, it was really a fitting end that Mika was that man. He was a great captain. He deserved it”, said Charlie Williams, executive producer of the event.
In the first match of the day, Team East captain Efren “Bata” Reyes sent out the Ko brothers to face Immonen and Ouschan. The Ko siblings were able to take advantage of the errors from both western players to cruise to an easy 5-2 win and bring Asia within one again. The Ko brothers went as the undefeated duo in the Kings Cup.
The final singles match of the event was Ko Pin Yi taking on Ouschan. Ko played with renewed confidence looking for revenge from his beating at the hands of Van Boeing the night before. A crucial moment was at 3-2 Ko, when Ouschan took ball in hand and opted to take on a long combo on the 10-ball and missed. Ko was left a length of the table bank with a possible carom on the 10-ball which he called.
His two-way shot paid off as the cue ball slid down the rail like a missile and found the 10-ball. Reyes leaped in the air cheering, while the dismayed Albin could only keep his eyes to the floor. Ko would win the match 5-3 and put Asia only two matches away from winning the Kings Cup leading into the final triples match.
“The pressure of the Kings Cup was the same exact pressure I felt in the finals of the World Championship. It feels so good to have experienced this,” Ouschan said.