India bows out

BANGKOK, JULY 12. India bowed out of contention of the Asian snooker team championships here on Wednesday losing all its three Group B league matches.

Needing a win to stay afloat in the tournament after losing its opening match to China 2-4 on Tuesday, India lost 0-4 to host Thailand in a best of seven frames match to see its hopes dashed.

India then lost 2-4 to Singapore in the inconsequential third match and finished its campaign without a win.

The first three frames against Thailand were close affairs and the Indians were a bit unlucky to be defeated.

In the third frame, Alok Kumar committed the cardinal sin of touching the blue while breaking off the frame against maestro James Wattana.

Wattana made a break of 32 points with the aid of four blacks but broke down on a red. Alok got a plethora of chances but failed to capitalise on them.

Even in the end Alok had a relatively easy pink but he muffed it up badly. Wattana sunk the pink to clinch the frame easily.

Wattana then partnered Noppoddon against Alok and Yasin Merchant in the fourth frame which too was won by the host rather comfortably.

A safety shot by Yasin gave Wattana a dream opening which he gratefully accepted and made break of 112. The balls were so ideally placed that Wattana went all out for the maximum 147 break which ended on the 15Th red.

Earlier, Devendra Joshi, playing against Noppoddon in the second frame, required just the black and a red to win his frame but he squandered a 48 point lead and went down to give Thailand a 2-0 lead.

In the match against Singapore, Yasin and Alok managed to win two frames against keith and Adrian respectively. Joshi, playing the sixth frame to draw level, lost on the pink ball to Singapore No. 1 Adrian.

Lowly rated UAE lost to Malaysia by 1-4. Only Mustafa Shehab gave some resistance when he defeated Oo Chin Kay.

- PTI

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