Aloysius Yapp and Ko Pin-yi secured a crucial 5-2 doubles victory over David Alcaide and Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, putting Team Asia on the board in Day 1 of the 2024 Reyes Cup.
Team Asia is on the board.
Singapore’s Aloysius Yapp and Ko Pin-yi of Taiwan delivered a much-needed doubles victory, allowing Team Asia to tie Team Europe at 1-1 in Day 1 of the 2024 Reyes Cup at the Ninoy Aquino National Stadium Tuesday, October 15.
After a disappointing start that saw Team Asia drop the first match in stunning fashion, Yapp and Ko rallied to secure a 5-2 win over the Spanish duo of David Alcaide and Francisco Sanchez Ruiz, injecting life into the Asian side’s campaign.
[ALSO READ: Team Europe completes stunning reverse sweep of Team Asia to open 2024 Reyes Cup]
Team Europe’s Shaw and Kaçi initially kept the game tight, trading racks with the Asian duo in the early stages. However, Yapp and Ko seized the advantage in the fifth rack after securing a clean win to take a 3-2 lead.
In the sixth rack, Ko delivered the first golden break in the competition to push Team Asia to within a single point of victory.
From there, the pair didn’t look back, with Yapp and Ko sealing the bounce-back win by clearing the table in the seventh rack.
With the score tied at 1-1, Team Asia will look to carry the momentum from their first victory, while Team Europe will aim to reassert their dominance.
The next clash is set to feature Vietnam’s Duong Quoc Hoang taking on Albania’s Eklent Kaçi in a singles showdown.
Day 1 Results:
- Team Europe 5-4 Team Asia (Team Match)
- Aloysius Yapp and Ko Pin Yi (Asia) 5-2 David Alcaide and Francisco Sanchez Ruiz (Europe)