"Bata" Reyes Yields Magic Against "The Black Widow"

Agnes R. Cruz

"The Black Widow"

MANILA: The moment Efren "Bata" Reyes sat in his armchair, he just couldn't help but let his eyes stay fixed to the strikingly beautiful creature at the opposite end of the pool table.

He leaned on his cue stick enjoying a good view of his female adversary named Jeanette Lee, the statuesque Korean-American beauty regarded as the finest woman billiard player in the world today.

Reyes was apparently enjoying every minute of it.

Like Mona Lisa with her mystic smile, Lee had seemingly enchanted Reyes, recognized the world over as "The Magician" because of his incredible shot-making skills.

Instantly, Reyes flashed his infectious 200-watt grin, his mouth wide open, his mischievous eyes lit up and growing in full-circle as big as billiard balls, and his imagination flirting like never before with the lovely image of Lee.

She was, after all, just a heartbeat away from where he was sitting frozen.

Reyes, considered by many to be the greatest billiard player there ever was, suddenly felt restless, and his concentration in the game was almost deserting him.

For he was staring at Lee, if not feasting like no other at her alluring beauty.

Reyes, who was crowned world pool king in 1999 in Cardiff, Wales, was admiring his stunningly attractive opponent like admiring his very own image in front of a barber's mirror.

The Filipino sports icon was not alone, though.

His big legion of fans that flocked to the plush Casino Filipino in Paranaque City to watch the Reyes-Lee clash dubbed the "LG Flatron Billiard Challenge" they themselves were entranced by the sight of the most beautiful earthling on that pleasantly cold evening.

Known as "The Black Widow" because of her flair for gothic all-black leather and lace attire and her deadly skill on the pool table, Lee had unknowingly cast spell on almost everybody who had dared to stare at her -- including Reyes.

But Reyes, by heart, knew why he was there on the stage on that makeshift area in an unfinished amphitheater at the Casino Filipino.

It was mainly intended to be a unique one-on-one match between "The Magician" and the "Black Widow".

The pride of Angeles City didn't intend to be humiliated by losing to a woman in the event which dangled a total prize money of $15,000.

For one brief moment, however, Reyes appeared ready to fall prey to Lee's magic spell in the Battle of Sexes.

The home hero lost the first game of their frantic race-to-13 duel.

Reyes himself -- and his cult following in the pool community -- felt a knot form in their stomach after that.

But, immediately, the two-time world 8-Ball champion buckled down to serious business by summoning the fire in his heart and stirring his monster appetite for winning -- and the rest, as they say, was history.

Reyes went on to dominate the rest of the way, completely outplaying Lee 13-5 and pocketing the $10,000 champion's purse. Lee settled for the $5,000 runner-up prize.

He left the home crowd cheering for his sweet victory.

Probably the greatest pool player of all-time, Reyes said he came into the match with his usual fight script: Not to take Lee lightly.

He had spent several hours at the pool table everyday in preparation for the classic showdown.

Indeed, Reyes was aware that Lee had, in the past, beaten some Filipino pool players. And he could have been next in line.

And one thing Reyes had feared most about Lee was her ability to clean up the table when she's on a roll. She can run rack after rack without a hint of a smile.

He was right all along.

It was evident in the first game of their match.

Reyes' safety shot with the six-ball was gobbled up by Lee, who drained it off the railing for a 1-0 lead.

But Reyes did not wilt under pressure after that.

"He's really a great player, the best I've ever met," said the glamorous-looking Lee, 27, who has achieved star status as an international champion after winning the gold medal at the World Games in Japan earlier this year.

She conceded that Reyes was "the greatest pool player of all-time, and just to play against him in a one-on-one match was itself a victory for me."

This was the first time Lee squared off with somebody of Reyes' caliber, although she had beaten countless male players in official tournaments in the United States.

She considered playing against Reyes a big honor, considering the fact that she was pitted opposite a certified pool genius with no less than a world 9-ball title tucked neatly under his belt.

Reyes returned the compliment, saying this was the first time he played a competitive match against a woman of Lee's world-class caliber -- cold and deadly at the table. *