In the world of billiards, there are matches that people can never forget. One of them is the unimaginable confrontation between "The Magician" Efren Reyes - a living legend of the Philippine billiards - and a European player who has won the continental championship three times. This match is not only a collision between two generations and two playing styles, but also a living testament to the incredible magic of the person the world calls "The Magician" - Efren Reyes.
Before the match took place, experts assessed this as a match of equal strength. The European player - who has won the European Pool Championship three times - entered the match with utmost confidence. He defeated a series of formidable opponents, possessing a cool playing style, standard techniques and a mentality as steady as steel. Many people believe that this will be a rare occasion when Reyes encounters difficulties, even being defeated by an elite representative of the old continent.
However, all those expectations were “smashed” after only a few first games.
From the very first shots, Efren Reyes made the whole audience speechless with his unbelievable moves. When his opponent played methodically, using bank shots as precisely as programmed, Reyes used improvisation, “illogical” and artistic style to counterattack. There was a situation where he was stuck between two opponent balls, in a corner that seemed impossible to escape, but Reyes gently stroked the ball, causing the cue ball to spin in a mesmerizing loop and then... fall into the required hole.
VIDEO :
The entire audience exploded. The commentator had to shout: “Impossible! That’s simply not real!” – “Unbelievable! That’s not real!”. And just like that, Reyes made everything look like magic. Even being the three-time European champion couldn’t help his opponent. He appeared confused, unable to control his emotions after a series of magical moves by Reyes. Every time it was his turn to hit, the opponent's eyes seemed to lose their inherent confidence, as if he were playing with a supernatural force rather than a human.
In a crucial game, when the score was slightly tilted towards Reyes, his opponent had a chance to clear the table. He took a deep breath, concentrated highly and hit each shot carefully. But with just a slight miss, the 6 ball stopped in the middle of the table. That was the opportunity for Reyes to step in and... do something that only he could think of: he hit the 1 ball to bounce onto the left rail, the ball curved in the right arc to hit the 6 ball and... both balls fell into the pocket at the same time, like a perfect dance. The whole stadium stood up and applauded. No one was speechless.
The European champion's face at that moment was filled with astonishment. He could no longer maintain his cool demeanor, instead he was confused. He looked up at Reyes, as if to ask: “What did you just do?”.
Reyes said nothing. He just smiled. A slight smile as if what he had just done was normal. But to the world, it was a miracle.
One of the special features of this match was the way Reyes “read the table” – an innate ability that no opponent could imitate. When everyone saw only difficulties, he saw opportunities. In a pile-up that covered the corner of the table, Reyes chose a play that the audience considered reckless. But then, when the shot was completed and the 9 ball fell into the pocket with pinpoint accuracy, everyone fell silent and jumped up in excitement.
The match ended with an overwhelming victory for Efren Reyes. The score was not only overwhelmingly in his favor, but also demonstrated a complete superiority in terms of skill, spirit, improvisation and especially… magic. His opponent – a man who had won the highest European title three times – could not hide his admiration. He approached Reyes, shook his hand, bowed his head in gratitude and said: “Playing with you today is like learning a lesson for life. Thank you for teaching me that billiards is not just about calculation, but also art.”
After the match, social networks exploded. Millions of people shared the video of Reyes’ “unbelievable” shot. International forums were abuzz with discussion, many commentators compared Reyes to “the Mozart of billiards”. An analyst who worked for the tournament even wrote: “Reyes doesn’t play billiards. He’s telling a story with marbles. And in that story, no one can stop him from creating a miracle.”
This match is considered one of the clearest proofs that: despite his old age, despite the emergence of many new champions, Efren Reyes is still a living monument, a great artist that the world of billiards always admires. He didn’t just win with skill – he won with style, with soul, and with something no one else had: the magic of a legend’s hands.
And then, people wonder: “When will the world produce another Efren Reyes?” Probably… never.
