PNS — ANOTHER feather in the cap for pool legend Efren ‘Bata’ Reyes, another misfortune for heartbreak kid Roberto Gomez.
Reyes edged out Gomez, 10-9, in a thrilling All-Filipino final of the 10th Predator World 10-ball championship Saturday and pocketed the $10,000 prize money (roughly P450,000) before a jampacked weekend crowd at The Block of the SM North Edsa.
The race-to-10 contest boiled down to the final rack, which Reyes, the former world double champion and a billiards’ Hall of Famer, eventually seized the moment Gomez had a bad positioning on the 2-ball following his break.
A spectacular shot on the same blue ball allowed the fancied 55-year old player from Angeles, Pampanga to complete a run out and win another title to be added on his vast trophy case.
“Naisip ko nga talon a ako dahil malayo na `yung inabot ng kalaban ko,” said Reyes after the epic match.
“Yung laban na ito sobrang buwenas na talaga. Dapat nga 10- na `yung laban.”
For Gomez, the loss was just the latest in a string of frustrating losses he suffered before his adoring Filipino fans, beginning with that sorry runner-up finish to Darryl Peach in the 2007 World Pool 9-ball championship and stretching to last week’s World Cup of Pool match where his tandem with Dennis Orcollo finished second to China.
“Nangyari na naman,” Gomez, 32 from Zamboanga, admitted. “Siguro ayaw talagang ibigay sa akin.”
As was the case in the past, Gomez had another fiery start, jumping off to a 5-2 lead and later, making it 7-4.
But Reyes clustered four straight racks to reach the hil
Gomez jumped 5-2 to 7-4 lead, before Reyes rallied in the end game by clustering four straight racks to take the upperhand, 8-7.
A Reyes miscue in the 16th rack allowed Gomez to tie it, before both players traded racks to forge the winner-take-all match.
“Buti na lamang at nagging matatag tayo. Naka-una na kasi agad si Gomez,” said Reyes.
The two disposed separate semifinals opponents earlier to arrange the showdown pitting the two Filipinos.
Reyes ousted last American hope Rodney Morris, 9-5, in the second semifinals game, shortly after Gomez routed compatriot Lee Van Corteza in the first Final Four match, 9-3.
Gomez settled for the runner-up honor worth $5,000 (P230,000).