Hanoi has witnessed many top sporting events, but never before has the audience here experienced such a great shock. In a special exhibition match at an international tournament held in Hanoi, the Philippine billiards legend – Efren "Bata" Reyes – made the whole stadium explode from the very first shot with a "magical" shot so high that the whole audience fell silent, then immediately burst into amazement.
Vietnamese fans from all over flocked to the stadium very early. Everyone was eager to witness with their own eyes the "Wizard Reyes", who has become a living symbol of world billiards. Despite his advanced age and gray hair, his eyes still shone strangely – the eyes of someone who is too used to winning, but still eager to contribute.
From the very first shot, Efren made everyone hold their breath. Contrary to the expectations of the majority that he would play slowly, probe his opponent and feel the table, Reyes suddenly unleashed a shot with almost unbelievable spin, causing the white ball to circle around the stuck ball cluster, lightly hit the table and then bounce back at a perfect angle to pocket the ace ball with absolute precision.
The audience gasped. The commentator was speechless. And the opponent standing on the other side of the table – an international player from Europe – could only shake his head, smiling helplessly. At that moment, everyone in the stadium knew that they were witnessing something more than just a match, but a legendary level of artistic performance.
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After that shot, the atmosphere in the stadium seemed to be “enchanted”. All eyes followed Reyes’ every move. He moved slowly but precisely, like an artist controlling a brush to paint a perfect picture. Each of his touches seemed to have a soul, making the seemingly lifeless balls come alive, strangely flexible.
Not long after, he made an extremely difficult bank shot – the cue ball hit twice and then pocketed the target ball at such a tight angle that no one could believe it. The crowd almost exploded, applause rang out non-stop, many people jumped up from their seats, shouting his name:
“Bata! Bata! Reyes! Reyes!”
Photojournalists continuously clicked their cameras. Social media in Vietnam was immediately flooded with status lines such as:
📌 "I just witnessed a miracle!"
📌 "Reyes is truly a living legend – no one else can do it but him!"
📌 "Hanoi today saw real magic – not from the movies, but from Reyes' cue stick!"
One thing that made the event so special was the way Reyes interacted with the audience. After each magical shot, he did not show any arrogance but always smiled kindly, bowing to the audience like an old friend. It was that humility that made him even greater in the eyes of Vietnamese fans.
The match lasted more than an hour, and during that time, Reyes did not make any serious mistakes. Every time the ball fell into a difficult position, he made the whole audience "hold their breath" and then "explode" with his unconventional shots - as if the laws of physics no longer applied to the cue in his hand.
One of the most shocking moments was when he hit a combo shot through three balls, adjusting the force extremely lightly but accurately, causing two balls to go in two opposite directions and... fall into the pocket at the same time. Many people could not believe their eyes. A young man sitting in the front row exclaimed:
👉 "This is not billiards. This is magic!"
The match ended with a "perfect" finish – Reyes' final shot sent the 9 ball into the middle pocket, but instead of hitting it straight, he used a massé shot (a spin shot in an arc shape), causing the white ball to bend in an incredible way before hitting the 9 ball. That "unnecessary but artistic" choice made the entire audience stand up and applaud continuously for nearly two minutes – an extremely rare thing in sports.
After the match, he was invited to give a brief speech. Reyes just smiled and said in simple English:
🗣️ "Thank you Vietnam. You have a beautiful country and amazing billiard fans. It is my honor to play here."
This event was not just a match – it was also a symbol of inspiration. In Vietnam, a series of billiards clubs began sharing videos of Reyes' "unbelievable" shots in Hanoi. Young people flocked to the pool table to "retry Reyes' shots", and from there, inspiration for this sport exploded everywhere.
