Team Asia opened their title defense in dominant fashion, taking a 4–0 lead against Team Rest of the World on Day 1 of the 2025 Reyes Cup at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
It was a strong showing from the defending champions, with newcomer AJ “Starboy” Manas making an impressive debut in front of the home crowd.
Day 1 Results
Team Asia 4 – 0 Team Rest of the World
Match 1
Team Asia 5–1 Team Rest of the World
Carlo Biado and Duong Quoc Hoang led the way in the opening team match. Biado capitalized early on a missed shot from Francisco Sánchez Ruiz, while Duong punished an error from rookie Moritz Neuhausen in rack five to give Asia a confident start.
Match 2
Aloysius Yapp & AJ Manas 5–2 Jayson Shaw & Francisco Sánchez Ruiz
The pair of Yapp and Manas worked well together, staying composed against the experienced duo of Shaw and Ruiz. Ruiz’s errors proved costly again as Asia doubled their lead.
Yapp said after the match, “Honestly, AJ carried me there. We knew they had a lot of experience, but AJ played like a veteran. It was a great debut for him.”
Match 3
Carlo Biado 5–3 Moritz Neuhausen
Biado showed why he’s a world champion, maintaining focus and converting key chances against the young German. Neuhausen showed flashes of promise, but mistakes at crucial moments gave Biado the edge.
“I played solid today,” Biado said. “Moritz fought hard, but I took advantage of his errors. It’s a good start, but we need to keep the same focus for the next matches.”
Match 4
Johann Chua & Duong Quoc Hoang 5–4 Fedor Gorst & Skyler Woodward
The night ended with a thrilling hill-hill finish. Chua and Hoang held their nerve to complete a clean sweep for Team Asia after a foul in the final rack from World No.1 Fedor Gorst.
AJ Manas summed up his debut:
“I’m really happy—it’s an amazing feeling. I was nervous at first, but my teammates supported me all the way. I just want to prove I belong here and make Asia proud.”
Team Asia’s 4–0 start puts them in control heading into Day 2, while Team Rest of the World will need to respond quickly to stay in the fight for the Reyes Cup.