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National Billiards & Snooker Championship
The Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy Indoor Stadium
Yousuf Guda - Hyderabad
:: Report - 22.12.2007 ::
by CSI Correspondent
Isthmit Singh Malik
Hyderabad: 22.12.2007 - In a match between two Kolkata youngsters, recently crowned Sub-Juniors snooker champion, Shoaib Khan, representing West Bengal toppled his citymate, the new Juniors billiards champion of PSPB in a juniors snooker quarter final match to enter the semi-final league of the juniors snooker section in the 2007 National snooker championship being played here at the Kotla Vijaya Bhaskar Reddy Indoor stadium, Yousufguda on Saturday evening.
Shoaib edged out Shahbaz on the black decider in the deciding fifth frame by 29-60, 61-53, 75-18, 31-65 and 55-46 points to enter the league stage. He was joined by another player from West Bengal Manish Jain who knocked out the much heralded, Pushpinder Singh of Delhi beating the young sikh lad of promise in straight frames by 59-45, 80-46 and 82-62 points.
Talented Shravan Mohta of Maharashtra was in no trouble against Ameer Husain even if the scores may suggest otherwise. In complete command of the situation, Shravan won in straight frames by 52-40, 62-53 and 87-51 points to make it to the semi-final league stage. Also making the grade was Haryana,s Aneesh Soni who beat Satbir Narula of Maharashtra after some trepidation by 64-71, 68-47, 86-47 and 49-34 points in a close encounter.
In the Seniors snooker quarter final knock-out matches, it was the young brigade who stole the limelight and the honours from their experienced adversaries as the hitherto players of the " big league " were conquered.
The rout started with the very talented, Aditya Mehta of Maharashtra first scalping the legendary, Geet Sethi like a knife wading through a butter like thick creamy layer. Astonishingly it was a relatively easy win by Aditya. Leading by two frames to nil it was only the third frame which saw a sembalance of a resistance from Geet as he wrested the third frame. It proved to be a false indicator of the situation as Aditya took a firm hold on the game potting cleanly, in a planned manner and executing the plan to perfection for a victory by 74-68, 65-47, 30-64, 71-56, 95-08 and 70-18 points to sail into the semis. If Aditya's success was rather easy, PSPB's Manan Chandra's downing his teammate from PSPB, the reigning National snooker champion, Alok Kumar's being vanquished even more surprising as Alok of late has been giving very consistently good snooker performances. But on this day he had no clue as Manan unleashed his powerful potting in a contagious manner to put the Veteran off-balance and record a 53-40, 58-80, 10-56, 54-61, 74-63, 75-41, 78-41 and 78-07 victory to earn a meeting with Aditya in the semis.
Former World snooker champion, Pankaj Advani another PSPB cueist meanwhile accounted for former Asian snooker champion, Yasin Merchant of Maharashtra in eight frames playing with his customary assured potting and the steady temperament which has seen so many a superb display from his cue while Yasin appeared a trifle tentative and erratic. Advani won by 36-52, 61-58, 84-37, 66-38, 31-71, 37-52, 87-0 and 89-29 points to enter the semis.
However, it was the match between another PSPB player, Sourav Kothari and the newly crowned Points format World billiards champion, Rupesh Shah of the Railways which had the packed audience on the tenterhooks till the last stage. Tied at 4-4 in a prolonged battle of attrition for over three hours it was the decider of the best of nine frames affair which brought out the best from the young bespectacled, technically equipped, Kolkata lad, Sourav. It was a winning break towards the end which could have been a total clearance had not Sourav come a little too long for the green on the colours stage with the brown, blue, pink and the black kept for the asking. Nevertheles the break was enough to snuff the challenge out of Rupesh. Sourav eventually won by 83-63, 25-75, 63-62, 38-69, 40-73, 75-04, 54-40, 29-72 and 71-35 points to set up a clash with Advani in the semifinals on Sunday.
Earlier in the last sixteen, Manan Chandra had done one better than Yasin registering a stupendous break of 133 against Delhi's Anuj Uppal beating him in straight four frames in the best of seven frames tie. The break was sheer poetry in motion as Manan went about clearing the balls kept on the green baize with amazing alacrity and a rare fluency which had the audience applauding profusely.
Saurav easily disposing off Brijesh Damani of West Bengal by four frames to one. Rupesh in the meantime stopped the surprise feat's of Jhanjarhis of Madhya Pradesh by four frames to one. Yasin drubbing Antim Singhi of Tamil Nadu in straight four frames. Pankaj defeating Ashok Shandilya of the Railways comfortably by four frames to one. Aditya spoiling the aspirations of the local star, Lucky Vatnani in a four straight frames whitewash. Geet Sethi scoring a four-two frames win over ebbulient Sarang Shroff of Maharashtra and the National champion Alok putting it across his teammate from PSPB, Dhruv Sitwala with consummate ease by four frames to one.