When it comes to living legends in the world of billiards, the name Efren “Bata” Reyes always comes up as a symbol of magic. More than just a talented player, Reyes is known as “The Magician” – a title that no one can dispute.
Throughout his illustrious career, he has amazed many opponents from all over the world. But in a memorable match against the Japanese champion, Reyes’ talent and ingenuity not only overcame the challenge, but also left the audience in a state of utter amazement. A match where the Japanese came with high confidence, but left with wide eyes and a lingering question: “How did he do that?”
From the very beginning, the atmosphere at the tournament was extremely tense. Japanese fans filled the stands, cheering enthusiastically for their national champion, a young, cool and technically sharp player. He had defeated a series of strong opponents from Europe to North America, and confidently believed that he could “decode” the Filipino legend. The Japanese press even headlined: “The end of magic? Reyes meets the real opponent!”
But when the match began, all those confident words were quickly drowned out by Reyes’s magic.
In the first few games, the Japanese player played as expected – precise shots, smart tactical moves, and gradually put pressure on Reyes. Some people in the audience thought: “Maybe today is the day Reyes loses.” But they forgot one thing: Bata did not just play with his hands, he played with his mind – and with his soul.
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In the fourth game, Reyes fell into a difficult position when a series of balls were pushed to the end of the table, without a clear shot. Everyone thought he would play defensively or even pass. But no! Reyes bent down, took a look, and then made an "unteachable" shot - the 4-ball bounced three cushions, lightly hit the object ball, and somehow the 5-ball landed right in the corner pocket. The whole room exploded in screams, and the Japanese player could only widen his eyes, watching the scoreboard change in pain.
After that shot, the match took on a different dimension. Reyes seemed to be a real magician, each stroke a mystery. The Japanese player, despite his immense talent, began to panic. He kept asking the coach, sometimes shaking his head, sometimes just smiling bitterly.
One of the most shocking shots came in the seventh game, when Reyes was completely stuck behind the block ball. It seemed like there was no legal path. But then, he used the legendary "masse" technique - the cue bent delicately, the ball flew around the block, hitting the object ball exactly as planned. The Japanese audience could not believe their eyes. Some people stood up and clapped their hands. The Japanese TV commentator exclaimed in English: “That’s wizardry! Pure wizardry!”
Throughout the match, Reyes did not need to shout or exaggerate. He just smiled gently, calmly like someone who had mastered the rules of the game. Meanwhile, his Japanese opponent became more and more depressed, each shot was careful but lacked the creativity that Reyes showed so naturally.
In the twelfth game, when the score gap was clear, Reyes finished with an unbelievable shot – hitting the “back of the ice”, the ball rolled long, hit the three points and went into the pocket gently as if it was pre-programmed. His opponent stood still for a few seconds before sighing and bowing his head in admiration.
At the end of the match, the Japanese player came up to shake Reyes’s hand, his eyes filled with admiration. In the post-match press conference, he shared:
“I have practiced thousands of hours, studied every cue, but I have never seen anyone play like him. He is not just a billiards player – he understands billiards like his own heartbeat.”
This victory not only helped Reyes advance to the final round, but also marked another important milestone in his illustrious career: global respect. The Japanese, despite their great patriotism, could not help but give him the utmost respect. Japanese social media sites were flooded with comments such as:
“He is not a human being, he is a living miracle.”
“I have watched billiards all my life, but Reyes made me feel like I was witnessing the game for the first time.”
“This is art, not sport.”
And indeed, when Reyes plays billiards, it is no longer an ordinary game. It was a stage of art, where every blow was a piece of music, every tactic a poem. And in the match against the Japanese champion, magic spoke.
