Bata weaves magic on Gomez, wins 10-ball tilt

Efren "Bata" Reyes once again weaved his magic cue stick but this time claimed compatriot Roberto Gomez as his victim. Reyes came back from a 4-7 deficit to fashion out a 10-9 victory over Gomez in the race-to-10 finals of the 2010 Predator International 10-Ball Championship on Saturday at SM North EDSA's The Block in Quezon City. The 56-year-old Reyes, despite showing signs of aging and deteriorating eyesight, trailed by three games in the championship match. But the former World 9-Ball champion gave Gomez, dubbed as "Superman," some kryptonite as he willed his way to win the next four racks before eventually taking over the decider to win the top prize of US$10,000 (P444,000). It was a momentous triumph for Reyes, who himself admitted to have lost some of his "magic touch" after a rough stint in this four-day tournament. To get into the finals, he had to recover from a 4-2 deficit against American Rodney Morris in the semifinals to score a 9-5 victory, then allowed Gomez to zoom to a 4-1 lead in their championship duel. But Reyes methodically wore down Gomez by engaging in a number of safeties to complete the comeback. "I thought I already lost this match," said Reyes. "Because my opponent was already up big, then my shots weren't that good. I guess it was just pure luck." The loss was another humbling experience for the 32-year-old Gomez, known for wasting big leads in the finals. In the 2007 World 9-Ball Championships finals held at the Araneta Coliseum, he lost to England's Daryl Peach after leading throughout the match. "It happened again," said Gomez, who took home US$5,000 (P222,000). "But I think my shots were better than in my other title matches I fought before. Too bad I didn't get the win, but it's okay." Reyes took an 8-7 lead when he made a combination, but soon lost it on the next rack when a misfired jumpshot, intended for the six-ball, hit the 10-ball instead, allowing Gomez to tie it up. Both cue artists traded racks before Reyes capitalized on an error by Gomez, who made a poor position on the two-ball, to convert the next seven balls. Immediately after Reyes sank the nine-ball, Gomez conceded to end the match. Reyes defeated Jeffrey De Luna, 9-7, in the quarterfinals before beating Morris and Gomez, respectively, while Gomez overcame compatriots Carlo Biado, 9-4, in the quarterfinals and Lee Van Corteza, 9-3, in the semis. Morris and Corteza received US$4,000 each for reaching the semifinals. – JVP/KY, GMANews.TV