Vietnam’s top pool player helps Asia clinch Reyes Cup title over Europe

On the final day of the tournament on Friday, Hoang teamed up with Ko Pin-yi in his second doubles match against Europe's Mickey Krause and Francisco Sanchez Ruiz. In a pivotal moment during the second set, with the European duo leading 2-1, Hoang faced a challenging shot as he had to pocket the 4 ball in the corner while the cue ball was positioned near the opposite rail. Not only did he pocket the ball, but he also navigated the 5 and 8 balls along the rails, setting up Ko for the next shot.

Krause, known for his calm demeanor, couldn't hide his surprise with a frown on his face as he looked at Sanchez. Ko, also impressed, tapped his cue four times on the table, followed by three hand taps, more than his usual two-tap acknowledgment for a great play.

"The Vietnamese player's precisive play was incredible," a Matchroom commentator said.

Hoang and Ko won the match 5-3, pushing Asia's overall score to 10-4, leaving them just one victory away from securing the title.

After the match, Philippines’ top player Johann Chua pointed at Hoang and signaled the crowd to cheer louder for the Vietnamese.

Europe fought back, with Jayson Shaw winning the next two matches, 5-3 against Carlo Biado and 5-2 against Hoang, narrowing the gap to 6-10. However, that was as close as Team Europe would get.

In the next singles match, Aloysius Yapp faced Sanchez. The Singaporean player continued his dominant performance, ultimately beating Sanchez 5-1 and clinching the decision point for Asia, securing their first-ever Reyes Cup title with a score of 11-6.

Yapp was named the tournament's best player, having won all five of his singles and doubles matches. Hoang also had a great performance with victories in two doubles matches alongside Ko and Yapp, a singles win over Eklent Kaci and a narrow loss to Shaw.

On the other hand, Kaci, the current world number two, had a disappointing tournament, losing all three of his matches, including two to Hoang. Kaci, a two-time world 10-ball champion, struggled throughout, while Hoang, 38th in the world and the lowest-ranked player in the tournament, weighed down expectations.

The 2024 Reyes Cup took place from Oct. 15 to 18 in the Philippines, featuring five players on each team from Europe and Asia. Hoang, selected as Asia's final wild card by the legendary pool player Efren Reyes, proved his worth, with teammate Chua suggesting he also deserved to be tournament’s best player, alongside Yapp.