MANILA – Legendary cue master Efren “Bata” Reyes has pulled off a Houdini act to beat Chao Fong Pang in the end game, 50-42, during Day 2 of “Face Off Series 2: The Grandmasters” at Club Capo Exclusive in Tomas Morato, Quezon City Thursday night.

Reyes trailed Chao, 25-18, during the first day of their race-to-50 match up before finding his groove in the second half of duel.

“Medyo nakuha ko na ang magandang tumbok sa second day,” said Reyes, who was also coming off a victory in the One Pocket division of the 2009 World Classic Galveston before facing Fong.

The 52-year-old Reyes notched 14 straight racks in Day 2 to seize the lead from Chao, an acknowledged pool master in Taiwan.

Reyes, the prized player of sportsman Aristeo “Putch” Puyat, pocketed the $10,000 prize.

The win is considered a vindication for Filipino pool fans who saw former World No. 1 Dennis “Robocop” Orcollo losing to Taiwanese Yang Ching-Shun, 50-45, last September during the Face Off Series 2: One More Time.

The Reyes-Fong match is part of a series of challenge matches Club Capo is putting up.

The exclusive membership club is also eyeing a match between Francisco “Django” Bustamante against American Rodney Morris and Lee Van Corteza opposite Shane Van Boening in November.

Other planned matches include a rematch between 2007 World Pool Championship finalists Roberto Gomez and Daryl Peach of England; Alcano versus fellow former world champion Chia-Ching Wu of Singapore;

A scotch doubles match featuring the tandem of Efren “Bata” Reyes and Bustamante against the duo of Orcollo and Alcano, as well as the pair of Bustamante and Gomez versus Johnny Archer and Van Boening, and Alcano-Johann Chua opposite Yang-Pin-Yi Ko; and a duel between Reyes and Archer. Marlon Bernardino