By MARK REY MONTEJO
Filipino AJ ‘Starboy’ Manas blew an opportunity to beat one of the biggest names in billiards as tremendous pressure got the better of him, suffering a heartbreaking 9-10 loss to Francisco Sanchez Ruiz of Spain in Last 16 of the 2026 Florida 9-Ball Open at the Caribe Royale in Orlando over the weekend.
Regarded as one the rising stars of the sport, Manas battled back from a 0-4 deficit to zoom to a commanding 9-5 lead that put him a rack away from achieving one of his biggest wins in a flourishing career.
But the 19-year-old phenom self-destructed in the 15th rack to the disappointment of his supporters.
He first missed the No. 3 ball before misfiring again on No. 5.
That gave Ruiz an opening to mount a searing comeback.
As he is known as ‘Ferrari’ back home, Sanchez Ruiz, 34, sped to victory – thanks immensely to his veteran poise.
Despite the setback, it was still an impressive finish for the Reyes Cup MVP after becoming the lone Filipino standing in the annual top-tier competition where he set to take a consolation prize of $4,000 (P242,820).
His other six compatriots in the 256-field, including world champion Carlo Biado, fell by the wayside along the way.
Prior to his exit, Manas hacked out a 10-3 victory over veteran Jayson Shaw of Great Britain in Round of 32. He also toppled Austrian Max Lechner, 10-4, in Round of 64, that came after his dominant knockout stage opener over American Gage Smith, 10-0.
He also dispatched Ricky Isaac of Trinidad and Tobago (9-3) and Pascal Dufresne of Canada (9-2) in the first stage.
Meanwhile, Ruiz was beaten soon after by eventual semifinalist American Shane van Boening, 10-6, in the quarters of the tilt that had a $225,000 (more than P13.6 million) prize pool.
Playing in the semis are Van Boening against Albanian Eklen Kaci, while Greek Alex Kazakis faces Venezuelan Jesus Atencio.
