--- title: "Rest of World Ends Asia's Reign With 11-4 Reyes Cup Win" url: https://ncuemedia.com/rest-of-world-ends-asia-s-reign-with-11-4-reyes-cup-win published: 2026-10-19T03:11:51Z updated: 2026-10-19T03:11:51Z summary: "Rest of the World defeated Team Asia 11-4 to win its first Reyes Cup, with Francisco Sanchez Ruiz claiming MVP honors in Manila." author: "NCue Media" categories: ["Pool"] tags: ["2026 Reyes Cup", "Francisco Sanchez Ruiz", "Ralf Souquet", "Team Asia", "Team Rest of the World"] lang: en --- # Rest of World Ends Asia's Reign With 11-4 Reyes Cup Win *Sanchez Ruiz pocketed the final 9-ball as Ralf Souquet\u0027s team completed a remarkable turnaround from an opening 2-0 deficit.* Team Rest of the World won the Reyes Cup for the first time on Sunday, beating Team Asia 11-4 at Makati Coliseum and ending the defending champion's two-year hold on the trophy. The final session lasted only two matches. Rest of the World won the opening team contest 5-3, then Francisco Sanchez Ruiz and Shane Van Boening beat Robbie Capito and Duong Quoc Hoang 5-1. Sanchez Ruiz pocketed the last 9-ball and was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player. | Session | Result | Overall score | |---|---:|---:| | Day One | 2-2 | Tied 2-2 | | Day Two | ROW won 4-1 | ROW led 6-3 | | Day Three | ROW won 3-1 | ROW led 9-4 | | Day Four | ROW won 2-0 | ROW won 11-4 | ## How did the final day end so quickly? Rest of the World entered the arena needing two points. Team Asia needed seven, leaving no room for another slow start. Asia won the lag in the five-player opener, but Capito fouled and allowed Sanchez Ruiz to take the first rack. Albert Januarta answered after a dry break from Van Boening, and Carlo Biado's safety against Joshua Filler put the home team 2-1 ahead. That was the last time Asia led a match in the 2026 Reyes Cup. Fedor Gorst forced AJ Manas into a foul during a safety exchange and levelled the score. Duong then missed a long 6-ball in a tactical rack with Aleksa Pecelj, handing Rest of the World a 3-2 advantage. Sanchez Ruiz beat Capito in the next sequence to put his team on the hill. Januarta kept Asia alive after an error from Van Boening, but Filler ended the match with a 7-9 combination. The 5-3 win moved Rest of the World to 10 points, one short of the cup. ## Why was the title-winning doubles match so one-sided? Capito and Duong took the opening rack against Sanchez Ruiz and Van Boening, giving the crowd one final reason to believe. A scratch from Van Boening on a jump shot offered Asia a chance to make it 2-0. Duong missed the 6-ball. The error changed the match immediately. Sanchez Ruiz and Van Boening levelled, then took the lead when a demanding safety on the 2-ball forced Capito to foul. Van Boening followed with a 4-9 combination after another failed safety and helped produce a break-and-run for a 4-1 advantage. Asia attempted to slow the final rack with a safety on the 2-ball. Sanchez Ruiz fluked the ball, and the table opened. The pair cleared the remaining sequence, leaving the Spaniard to pocket the championship-winning 9-ball. The 5-1 score was a blunt finish to a week that had begun with genuine tension. By the final three racks, Rest of the World looked free while Asia was trying to manufacture one more opportunity. ## What made Francisco Sanchez Ruiz the tournament MVP? Sanchez Ruiz delivered in every phase of the event. He stopped Asia's opening-night surge with a 5-1 singles win over Duong, contributed to the team matches and partnered Filler in the hill-hill doubles victory that closed Day Two. On the final night, he helped win both points. He took the opening rack of the team match, sent Rest of the World to the hill later in the contest, then joined Van Boening for the decisive doubles win. The last 9-ball gave the story a clean ending, but his influence had accumulated across four sessions. Sanchez Ruiz supplied control when Rest of the World trailed, pressure when the match was level and composure when the trophy came into sight. His MVP award also marked a personal reversal in Manila. Rest of the World lost 11-3 in 2025, and Sanchez Ruiz acknowledged that his previous two Reyes Cup appearances had been difficult. This time, he left as both champion and the event's outstanding player. He resisted taking individual credit after the win. Sanchez Ruiz pointed to every player in the lineup and captain Ralf Souquet, describing the team's energy and preparation as the foundation of the result. ## How did Ralf Souquet turn five champions into one team? Rest of the World's talent was never in doubt. Gorst, Filler, Van Boening and Sanchez Ruiz arrived with major titles and extensive experience. Pecelj entered as a dangerous debutant with less exposure to this format. The harder task was making the group operate as a unit. Souquet asked players who usually compete for individual prizes to share responsibility across team, doubles and singles matches. The effect became visible after the opening two defeats. Rest of the World won the final two matches of Day One, four of five on Day Two and three of four on Day Three. It then swept the final session. Every member contributed to winning points. Gorst supplied high-level singles play and strong partnerships. Filler recovered from early errors to become a central figure on Day Two. Van Boening was involved in the title-clinching doubles. Pecelj grew through the event and closed Day Three with a 5-1 win over Manas. Souquet later stressed that the 11-4 final score made the contest appear easier than it was. Many racks turned on a single safety, scratch or missed jump. Rest of the World separated itself by handling those moments more consistently. ## Where did Team Asia lose control of its title defense? Asia started well. Biado and Capito helped the defending champion move 2-0 ahead on Day One, raising the possibility of another one-sided Reyes Cup. Rest of the World won the next two matches 5-1 to finish the night level. From that point, Asia claimed only two of the remaining 13 points. Several losses followed a similar pattern. Asia led the Day Two team match 3-1 and lost 5-3. On Day Three, it again led the opening team match 2-0 before losing by the same score. Capito and Januarta reached the hill first in a Day Two doubles match but fell 5-4. Biado remained Asia's stabilizing presence. He came back to beat Van Boening on Day Two and partnered Januarta for Asia's only point on Day Three. Januarta also produced flashes of his potential, including two golden breaks during the week. Those moments could not offset the missed chances around them. The inexperienced Asian players were placed under repeated pressure by opponents accustomed to short-race team events. Once Rest of the World gained the lead, Asia never managed to win consecutive points. The defeat does not erase Asia's first two championships. It does change the rivalry. The Reyes Cup now has a second winner, and the next edition will begin without an unbeaten team defending the event's history. ## What does the 11-4 victory change for the Reyes Cup? The result establishes Rest of the World as more than a collection of individual stars. It answered the questions left by the 11-3 defeat in 2025 and proved that the team could handle the emotional demands of playing Asia in Manila. The route was striking. Rest of the World fell behind 2-0, then won 11 of the next 13 matches. The final margin came from sustained control across three days, not one exceptional session. For Team Asia, the next year becomes a rebuilding challenge. Biado remains an elite anchor, while Capito, Manas and Januarta leave with experience that cannot be recreated outside this format. Captain Francisco Bustamante will have to decide how much of the young core to retain for a title-recapture attempt. The players will not have long to reset. The World Nineball Tour remains in the Philippines for the 2026 Philippines Open Pool Championship from October 20 to 24 at Gateway Mall in Quezon City. David Alcaide returns as defending champion, while the Reyes Cup players move back from team competition to individual play. :::faq ### Who won the 2026 Reyes Cup? Team Rest of the World beat Team Asia 11-4 to win the Reyes Cup for the first time. ### Who pocketed the title-winning 9-ball? Francisco Sanchez Ruiz made the final 9-ball while partnering Shane Van Boening in a 5-1 doubles victory. ### Who was named the 2026 Reyes Cup MVP? Francisco Sanchez Ruiz received the Most Valuable Player award after contributing throughout all four sessions. ### How many matches were played on the final day? Only two matches were needed. Rest of the World won the team match 5-3 and the deciding doubles match 5-1. ### What event follows the Reyes Cup in Manila? The 2026 Philippines Open Pool Championship runs from October 20 to 24 at Gateway Mall in Quezon City. :::