Singapore’s Aloysius Yapp edged out Scotland’s Jayson Shaw with a 5-4 victory, securing Team Asia’s third win and giving them a 3-2 overall lead heading into Day 2 of the 2024 Reyes Cup.
In a gripping conclusion to Day 1 of the 2024 Reyes Cup, Singapore’s Aloysius Yapp edged out Scottish pool player Jayson Shaw of Team Europe with a hard-fought 5-4 victory at the Ninoy Aquino National Stadium in Manila on Wednesday, October 16.
Shaw opened the singles match with an impressive 2-0 start, quickly showcasing his elite skills.
The Scottish superstar looked poised to take a commanding 3-0 lead, but failed to knock down the 7th ball, which Yapp capitalized for to score his first point in the match.
The Singaporean ace then continued with the momentum with back-to-back racks to take a 3-2 lead, putting pressure on the European star.
Shaw leveled the score at 3-3 with a brilliant golden break in the sixth rack, but Yapp responded by regaining the lead at 4-3 with composed shot-making.
Determined to stay in the game, Shaw fought back again, tying the match at 4-4 to set up a thrilling final rack.
In the final frame, Yapp delivered under pressure, closing out Shaw to seal the 5-4 victory.
Yapp’s clutch performance handed Team Asia their third win of the day, giving them the overall lead heading into Day 2.
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)
- Duong Quoc Hoang (Asia) 5-3 Eklent Kaçi (Europe)
- Jayson Shaw and Mickey Krause (Europe) 5-3 Johann Chua and Carlo Biado (Asia)
- Aloysius Yapp (Asia) 5-4 Jayson Shaw (Europe)
With Day 2 on the horizon, both teams are looking to gain the upper hand in what has already been a highly-competitive tournament.