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Billiards & Snooker
Patel and Sethi enter semifinals
By Geet Sethi
MIDDLESBROUGH, DEC. 5. The distinct possibility of an historic all-India final looms large after Nalin Patel and Geet Sethi emerged victorious in their respective quarterfinal clashes against Ashok Shandilya and Robby Foldvari in the U.K. billiards championship here on Tuesday.
While Patel, the world No. 8, will meet Peter Gilchrist is one semifinal, Geet Sethi would contest the other last four encounter with David Causier, ranked 3.
On Tuesday night, Nalin Patel, once again exhibiting his renowned consistency edged out Shandilya, who had displayed remarkable form and steely nerves to upset world No. 1 Mike Russell. Patel's 4-2 victory will go a long way in instilling a much-needed confidence in his own abilities and will also further consolidate his position in the world rankings.
Patel has been unjustifiably prevented from participating in the Nationals thanks to a lack of political will and sheer neglect on the part of the National administration. The excuse was that he had a British Passport but everybody ignored the fact that he was born in India, has lived all his life in India and has paid taxes ever since he came of age.
However, his untenable layoff from competitive billiards in India has had a very positive effect on his professional game. Enjoying the eighth position in the world rankings for the third successive year, he remains the second highest ranked Indian on the professional circuit. By eliminating Devendra Joshi in the second round and Shandilya in the quarterfinals here, he has once again provided an appropriate reminder that Indian billiards requires his services at the Asian Games and other international platforms.
Patel constructed a break of 72 to take the opening frame and then seemed on course for a 2-0 advantage when he compiled a run of 52. However having missed a red pot, the world No. 8 gifted Shandilya an opening which the latter made full use of with a superb 76 unfinished to level frame scores at 1-1.
With the crossing of the baulk line being made mandatory twice in a break of 100 - between 40-49 and between 80- 89 - Patel fumbled on his first baulk line crossing in the third frame but still managed to win the game 100-75, thanks to his opponent's inability to convert two scoring opportunities.
But Shandilya, who had eliminated Russell's challenge, showed his class in the fourth with a fluently compiled effort of 71 unfinished with which he equalised the scores at 2-2.
Given his track record against the best cueists in the world, Shandilya was a slight favourite at this stage. However Patel thought otherwise. A convincing fifth game 100-2 allowed him the luxury of a 3-2 lead and with Shandilya's form plummeting, the tall Mumbai based businessman confirmed his berth in the semifinal with an unfinished run of 59.
My own match with Australia's Robby Foldvari was dominated by a series of tactical safety exchanges, which is a natural outcome of the high regard, which both Foldvari and myself have for each other's ability.
Foldvari is a former World champion and more importantly his success rate in the short format of the game has been exceptional. But on Tuesday evening he was unusually tentative and missed too many easy shots. He was also unable to control the balls. This allowed me the comfort of enjoying an early 3-1 lead in the contest albeit without any big breaks.
Foldvari had constructed a game winning 67 in the third, but the trend of play was clearly in my favour. Eventually in a twitchy fifth frame I managed to win thanks to a fluked red into the centre-pocket.
The second unfinished century of the competition was compiled by Peter Gilchrist, the current World champion in the third game of his 4-2 victory against Chris Shutt. Gilchrist, playing in front of his home crowd at the North Ormesby Institute led 3-0 before Shutt recovered his composure to win the fourth 100-7 and then cracked in a superb 101 unfinished to reduce his deficit to 3-2. Gilchrist however confirmed victory despite an early 54 by his opponent.
Quarterfinal results (best of seven 100 point games): Peter Gilchrist bt Chris Shutt 4-2, David Causier bt Roxton Chapman 4- 2, Geet Sethi bt Robby Foldvari 4-1, Nalin Patel bt Ashok Shandilya 4-2.
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