via Jostle Doen Pilayre
And it seems fate leaned towards that young Filipino from Antipolo that night.
AJ Manas capitalized on an accidental touch from Fedor Gorst in crunch time to force a 5-4 nailbiter in the 2025 Reyes Cup 9-ball singles inside the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, October 17.
The 19-year-old cue artist converted Gorst’s foul on the 7-ball to a free shot and soon sank the final four balls, shattering a 4-all standstill in the ninth rack and securing Team Asia its 6-0 lead in the tourney.
As Team Asia’s youngest player in the roster, Manas sported composure beyond his years throughout a back-and-forth against the Russian-American cuemaster.
Manas weathered Gorst’s early dominance with poise by answering a 0-1 start with a rare golden break that sent the 9-ball straight home, immediately leveling the score at 1-1 and setting a prelude for the eventual heartbreaker.
Refusing to cower to pressure from the foe’s halftime uprisal, Manas responded to every surge by matching Fedor’s break-and-run rhythm and shot-making spree—just before snatching the fifth rack with a masterful run from one to nine that put him ahead at 3-2.
It was all grit and guile for the Filipino prodigy from there as he turned defense into offense by using a tactical safety play that forced Gorst into a risky bank shot attempt on the 4-ball—with the latter slipping and fouling to clear the table for a 4-2 lead.
With the score tied 4-all, Manas had to take a beating with the gloves down in the eighth rack as he watched Gorst score a break that pocketed two balls and scored three solids in a row.
And then came the moment of fate—a foul wrapped in a miracle for Manas.
After Gorst’s failed attempt to sink the six as his jersey grazed the 7-ball, the young Filipino prodigy immediately capitalized on the opponent’s costly foul by pocketing the seven, eight, and 9-balls himself to secure the upset win.
Meanwhile, the 25-year-old Gorst went on even terms with the youngster when it mattered the most by banking on smart positioning to consecutively pocket solids in the sixth and seventh racks, closing the gap at 4-3 before forcing a tie at 4-4 in the next frame.
He then suppressed Manas’ triple pocket streak in the following match by exploiting the Filipino’s failed attempt that left the 4-ball hanging—soon rallying with a sinking spree towards nine and closing the eighth rack at 4-all.
Now at striking distance, Gorst held on for dear life in the deciding rack with a break that pocketed two balls and went to score three solids in a row.
And just as Gorst thought Lady Lucky smiled in favor of him, the Russian-American accidentally grazed the 7-ball—a foul that turned the tides—and handed the orange-clad foe his chance for a reversal.
Manas eventually joined forces with Johann Chua in a 5-2 beating of Gorst and Jayson Shaw of United Kingdom in the doubles race-to-11 match, which kept Team Asia in step within four points of a successful title defense.
