Team Rest of the World recovered from 2-0 down to finish Day One of the 2026 Roobet Reyes Cup level at 2-2 with defending champion Team Asia. Francisco Sanchez Ruiz delivered the first response before Fedor Gorst and Shane Van Boening completed the comeback at Makati Coliseum.
What was the final score after Reyes Cup Day One?
The four-match opening session ended with two points for each team. Asia won the opening team contest and the first doubles match, but Rest of the World answered with dominant 5-1 victories in the final singles and doubles matches.
| Match | Result | Day One score |
|---|---|---|
| Opening team match | Team Asia 5-3 Team Rest of the World | Asia 1-0 |
| Carlo Biado and Robbie Capito vs. Joshua Filler and Aleksa Pecelj | Biado and Capito won 5-1 | Asia 2-0 |
| Francisco Sanchez Ruiz vs. Duong Quoc Hoang | Sanchez Ruiz won 5-1 | Asia 2-1 |
| Shane Van Boening and Fedor Gorst vs. AJ Manas and Albert Januarta | Van Boening and Gorst won 5-1 | 2-2 |
The match-point score was level, but Rest of the World finished the session with a narrow 14-12 advantage in total racks. Asia won the first two matches by a combined 10-4; Rest of the World then dominated the final two by a combined 10-2.
How did Team Asia win the opening team match?
Captain Francisco Bustamante won the lag, and Duong Quoc Hoang immediately converted it into a break-and-run. Joshua Filler answered for Rest of the World, while a missed 9-ball from Carlo Biado allowed Shane Van Boening to move his team 2-1 ahead.
The momentum changed through a sequence of positional mistakes. Fedor Gorst hooked himself on the 8-ball, giving Robbie Capito the chance to level at 2-2, and Aleksa Pecelj later missed the 7-ball after an AJ Manas dry break appeared to favor Rest of the World.
Francisco Sanchez Ruiz made it 3-3, but 17-year-old Albert Januarta produced a golden break to put Asia on the hill. Biado then survived a tense final rack, including misses from both him and Van Boening, before a favorable roll helped Asia close the match 5-3.
Why were Biado and Capito so effective in the first doubles match?
Biado and Capito controlled the table early after Pecelj missed a jump shot. The Filipino pairing followed with a break-and-run for 2-0 and restored their two-rack advantage at 3-1 with another clean clearance.
Rest of the World could not reverse the pressure. A failed safety from Filler in the fifth rack and a missed 8-ball from Pecelj in the sixth allowed Biado and Capito to finish a convincing 5-1 win and extend Asia's overall lead to 2-0.
Capito's performance also challenged the pre-event underdog label. Playing alongside a world champion and under Bustamante's captaincy, he looked composed in the moments that decided the second point.
How did Sanchez Ruiz begin the Rest of the World comeback?
Sanchez Ruiz defeated Duong 5-1 to give Rest of the World its first point. The scoreline was decisive, although the match turned on one especially costly sequence rather than sustained one-way traffic from the opening rack.
Duong recovered from losing the first rack and levelled at 1-1. Sanchez Ruiz regained the lead with a break-and-run, but Duong then produced an excellent kick on the 3-ball during a safety exchange and appeared ready to tie the match again.
A missed 9-ball changed the direction of the contest. Sanchez Ruiz moved 3-1 ahead, reached the hill quickly and completed the victory after Duong became hooked from his own break. The result reduced Asia's match lead to 2-1 and shifted the pressure onto the defending champions.
How did Gorst and Van Boening complete the comeback?
Gorst and Van Boening beat AJ Manas and Albert Januarta 5-1 in the closing doubles match. Manas missed the 6-ball in the opening rack and made another error in the second, giving the experienced pairing an immediate 2-0 advantage.
A break-and-run stretched the lead to 3-0. Manas then scratched on the 8-ball, sending Rest of the World to the hill. Although Van Boening missed a bank and allowed the young Asian pair to win a rack, Manas later missed a bank on the 2-ball and the comeback was complete.
Experience was the visible difference in the tight racks. Gorst and Van Boening drew on their Mosconi Cup partnership, limited further errors and converted Asia's late mistakes into a 5-1 result.
Which moments defined the opening session?
Three moments shaped the 2-2 scoreline. Januarta's golden break gave Asia control of a tense opening match, the Duong missed 9-ball opened the door for Sanchez Ruiz, and the closing partnership of Gorst and Van Boening turned a 2-0 match deficit into parity.
| Turning point | Immediate effect | Wider impact |
|---|---|---|
| Januarta's golden break | Put Asia on the hill in Match One | Helped Asia secure the opening point |
| Biado and Capito's second break-and-run | Restored a 3-1 doubles lead | Built Asia's 2-0 match advantage |
| Duong's missed 9-ball | Sent Sanchez Ruiz 3-1 ahead | Started the Rest of the World recovery |
| Gorst and Van Boening's 3-0 start | Put the final doubles under control | Set up the 2-2 overall tie |
What does the 2-2 score mean for Day Two?
Neither team carries a match-point advantage into Day Two, but Rest of the World ended the first session with the stronger momentum. Its senior players won the final two matches 5-1 and erased Asia's perfect start before the defending champions could create separation.
Asia still showed why it is chasing a third consecutive title. Biado delivered in the decisive rack of the team match, Capito handled his first doubles assignment confidently and Januarta produced one of the night's most memorable shots.
The event continues at Makati Coliseum through October 18. Rest of the World is seeking its first Reyes Cup victory, while Asia is trying to preserve its perfect record in the event's third edition.
What was the score after Day One of the 2026 Reyes Cup?
Team Asia and Team Rest of the World finished level at 2-2 after four matches.
Who won for Team Asia on the opening day?
Asia won the opening team match 5-3, before Carlo Biado and Robbie Capito defeated Joshua Filler and Aleksa Pecelj 5-1.
Who led the Rest of the World comeback?
Francisco Sanchez Ruiz beat Duong Quoc Hoang 5-1, then Fedor Gorst and Shane Van Boening won the closing doubles match 5-1.
Where is the 2026 Reyes Cup being played?
The event is taking place at Makati Coliseum in Makati, Metro Manila, Philippines.
When does the 2026 Reyes Cup finish?
The four-day team event runs from October 15 through October 18, 2026.
