NOSTALGIA filled the air as Efren “Bata” Reyes hurdled a tough challenge from Ralf Souquet of Germany, 11-8, to win his first match in the WNT Legends on Wednesday, Jan. 21, 2026, at the Gateway Mall 2 in Cubao, Quezon City.
Reyes, famously known as “The Magician” and widely regarded as the greatest billiards player of all-time, broke away from an 8-8 deadlock and swept the next three racks to clinch the victory, sending the pro-Filipino crowd into loud cheers inside the venue.
The classic rivalries in the three-day event continue Thursday, with Reyes clashing with USA’s Earl “The Pearl” Strickland and Souquet going up against Francisco “Django” Bustamante to determine who will advance to the final round on Friday.
Under the tournament format, the highest-ranked Filipino will meet the top foreign cue artist for the title, while the lowest-placed Filipino will face the bottom-ranked foreigner for third place.
Earlier, Bustamante also opened his campaign on a winning note, defeating Strickland, 11-9, in another thrilling match.
After the former world No. 1 from the United States tied the match at 8-8, the Filipino 2010 world nine-ball champion swept the next two racks to reach the hill at 10-8.
Strickland momentarily stopped Bustamante’s momentum by winning the 19th rack.
Bustamante, however, sealed the victory after banking a 3-9 ball combo into the right corner pocket in the final rack. (SPORTS RADIO 918 AM)