YAPP IS ASIA'S ACE IN PACK

S'porean leads team to win over European opponents at event where he's also MVP

- David Lee

The inaugural Reyes Cup, a continental tournament pitting the best pool players from Asia against their European counterparts, is named after Filipino legend Efren "The Magician" Reyes, one of the sport's greatest exponents of all time.

Fittingly, Singapore's Aloysius Yapp left spectators at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila and TV viewers worldwide spellbound throughout the Oct 15-18 tournament, as he wielded his cue like a wand and potted balls at will to lead Team Asia to an 11-6 win over Team Europe.

The 28-year-old southpaw secured the winning point with a 5-1 victory over Spain's Francisco Ruiz - ranked fifth in the World Nine-ball Tour (WNT) standings - in a match that featured a delightful 3-9 combination that had his team captain Reyes smiling and applauding in appreciation.

Yapp told The Sunday Times: "It is an amazing feeling and I'm very happy to be able to win this alongside my fantastic teammates.