IBSF World Snooker Championship 2009

News & Updates

REPORT OF 21.11.2009

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Geet Sethi of India pulled out a very difficult match against former IBSF World Snooker champion, Chuchart T. of Thailand to enter the Quarter finals of the master category of ONGC-IBSF World Snooker Championship 2009 being held in Hall 3 of Hyderabad International Convention Centre, Hyderabad.

Chuchart established complete control on the proceeding from the beginning and went ahead with a decisive lead of 3-1 in a best of 7 encounter. Unruffled by the score line Geet, however, remained calm and stuck to his job in the fifth frame which saw some good quality potting by both the players. Needing all the colours to win from green ball, Sethi potted and positioned brilliantly to land for a regulation black pot which he missed and offered Chuchart with a simple black pot, which Chuchart did without any mistake and to tie the score.

On the respotted black Chuchart played a brilliant safety shot by sending the black right next to the top cushion behind the black spot with cue ball stuck to the bottom cushion. Unable to find out a correct shot to keep Chuchart safe, Sethi tried to double the black in the green pocket with lot of top spin just to ensure that the cue ball does not come out much from the top cushion. The great force and top spin with which Geet played the shot made the cue-ball swerve to the right and hit black on a half-ball contact in place of intended three-quarter contact required for doubling it into the green pocket. Before Sethi had the time to get up and to watch the deflection of black, it had already entered the centre pocket giving him a chance to remain in contention in the match.

The following two frames, it was Sethi all over as he kept on unfolding a vast repertoire of strokes to outwit his opponent. A perfect blend of tactical safety play with clinically precise potting saw Sethi emerging as a worthy winner.

After the match Geet complemented his Thai opponent for his voluntary declaration of a foul committed by him which was un-noticed by the match referee at a crucial stage of the match. Sethi further said that Thai players have a rich tradition of being gentle in manner and great ambassadors of their country who always value fellowship and camaraderie above anything else.

The biggest surprise of the day, however, a sensational win by R. Girish of India who completely outclassed his much reputed and a gold medalist in 2007 Indoor Asian games, Mohd. Shehab of UAE. Shehab tipped in this championship to reach in the last eight stage had to take an unceremonious exit from this championship by 1-4.

Girish who have been climbing steadily in the national ranking in the last couple of years, found the much much needed break-thru that he was desperately looking forward to.

Aditya Mehta who suffered from some anxious moments in his last match due to alignment problem seem to have corrected as he lined up nicely on each shot today and potted them brilliantly and blanked his opponent Chin Ka Kin of Hong Kong 4-0.

Unperturbed by the characteristic slow play by his opponent Lim Chun Kiat of Singapore, the local lad Lucky Vatnani kept his composer and registered a commendable win 4-1.

Yesterday evening, in the ladies category, the greasily battle between the Vidya Pillai of India and Kathy Parashis of Australia continued for more than 5 hours in which, Vidya went down tamely after squandering her early advantage of 3-1.

Besides Meenal Thakur, the only other Indian who kept India’s hope alive for the top honor is Chitra M. who posted a commendable win against her opponent Nicha Pathom Eakmongkhon of Thailand by 4-2.