Team Rest of the World are Reyes Cup champions for the first time in history, winning both of the final day’s matches at the Makati Coliseum to complete an emphatic 11–4 victory and end Team Asia’s two-year reign.
Francisco Sánchez Ruiz was the hero of the night. He played a key part in the team match that put ROW on the hill, then partnered Shane Van Boening in the doubles and potted the title-winning 9-ball himself, before being named the tournament’s MVP.
Sánchez Ruiz said: “It was so important to come into this week and win this title. The past two years here haven’t been great. I struggled a lot, so it means so much to win the MVP award. But I can’t take the credit for this victory.
“We won this week because of every player on the team, and of course what Ralf has done to prepare us. The energy in the team has been great, and we’ve all enjoyed this week. That’s why we won here.”
Final score
Team Rest of the World 11 – 4 Team Asia
Reflecting on his side’s triumph, Team ROW captain Ralf Souquet said: “They delivered from the very beginning to the very last 9-ball that dropped. I’m so proud of these boys and what they’ve done as a team. The biggest challenge was getting these guys together and making them forget what they’ve done and won on their own. We’re a team, and we can only win as a team. This week, they showed they can be one. I can’t stress enough how proud I am.
“Team Asia made us fight hard in every match this week. Even though the scoreline looks like we ran over them, that’s not the truth. Most of the games were tight.
“I told Francisco halfway through the tournament that he would be MVP, just from the way he’s been playing, not only this week but all year. He’s been so solid and so fundamental to this team. He was already an MVP in my eyes.”
Match Fourteen
Team ROW 5 – 3 Team Asia
Needing two points to seal the title, Rest of the World started the final day on the front foot. Asia won the lag, but a foul from Robbie Capito let Sánchez Ruiz in to give ROW the opening rack. The home side hit back, as a dry break from Van Boening let Albert Januarta run out to level, and Carlo Biado then put Asia in front with a well-played safety against Filler.
Any hopes of a final-day fightback were short-lived. A tight safety from Fedor Gorst on the 5-ball forced AJ Manas into a foul to bring ROW level, and a tense battle between Duong Quoc Hoang and Aleksa Pecelj went the visitors’ way when Duong missed a long 6-ball, letting Pecelj in to make it 3–2.
Sánchez Ruiz wasted no time putting Rest of the World on the hill against Capito. Januarta kept Asia alive with ball-in-hand after a Van Boening error, but Filler had the final say, landing a 7–9 combination to win the match and leave ROW one point from history.
Filler said: “It felt great to get the team on the hill. I’ve struggled in the team matches this week. Balls didn’t roll my way and Team Asia played some good safeties, so of course it felt good to win that last rack.
“It was different at the beginning of the week, especially pairing up with the Americans, but Ralf did a great job. He made it clear we had to act as a team if we wanted to win this, and that totally changed our mentality. Now we’re having fun together and have so much faith in each other, because we know what we’re all capable of.”
Match Fifteen
Francisco Sánchez Ruiz & Shane Van Boening 5 – 1 Robbie Capito & Duong Quoc Hoang
Capito and Duong gave the home crowd hope by taking the opening rack, and when Van Boening scratched on a jump shot in the second, Asia had a chance to double their lead. Duong missed a straightforward 6-ball, though, and the ROW pair levelled.
From there, the title was never in doubt. A probing safety from Van Boening on the 2-ball forced Capito to foul, giving Rest of the World the lead. Van Boening then pounced on a failed safety to seal the fourth with a 4–9 combination, and a break-and-run put ROW on the hill, one rack from the Reyes Cup.
Capito tried to wrestle back control with a safety on the 2-ball, but Sánchez Ruiz found a fortunate fluke to pot it, and the ROW pair cleared the table. Fittingly, it was the soon-to-be MVP who sank the final 9-ball, after two years of defeat in Manila, to crown Team Rest of the World champions for the first time.
After two years of Asian dominance on home soil, the Reyes Cup has a new name on the trophy. Rest of the World leave Manila as champions, and Team Asia will have a full year to plot their bid to reclaim the crown.
In its third edition in Manila, the 2026 Roobet Reyes Cup lit up the Makati Coliseum from October 15–18, as Team Rest of the World claimed their maiden title in an event staged in partnership with Puyat Sports and broadcast globally via ESPN, ONE SPORTS and WNT TV.
NEXT MATCHROOM MAJOR
The World Nineball Tour stays in Manila for the 2026 Roobet Philippines Open Pool Championship, which runs from 20 to 24 October at Gateway Mall, Quezon City, just two days after the Reyes Cup final.
Spain’s David Alcaide returns to defend the title he won at the inaugural edition. Fresh from a week of team battles at the Makati Coliseum, the Reyes Cup stars switch back to individual competition, with Rest of the World’s new champions out to carry their momentum into a Major, and Team Asia’s Filipino contingent looking for redemption in front of their home crowd
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