Filipino pool legends Franciso 'Django' Bustamante and Efren 'Bata' Reyes emerged triumphant on the first day of WNT Legends at the Gateway Mall 2 in Quezon City Wednesday.
Bustamante defeated American Earl 'The Pearl' Strickland, 11-9, in the opening duel.
Tied at 8-8, Bustamante, 62, scored back-to-back runouts to get on the hill but Strickland, 64, took the 19th rack to extend the match.
Bustamante clinched it in the next rack with a 3-9 ball combo.
In the second game, Reyes staved off German Ralf Souquet, 11-8.
'The Magician' cleaned the last three racks to pull away from an 8-8 deadlock and win the match.
Reyes faces Strickland while Bustamante battles Souquet on Friday to determine the standings and the finalists of the three-day invitational tournament.
The top Filipino player faces the top foreign cue artist in the championship match, while the bottom-ranked Philippine bet takes on the lower-ranked foreign player in the battle for third.