Friday, Mar 22, 2002
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Billiards & Snooker
Thailand's Mongkhon K looks over the shoulder of Dhruv Sitwala as the Indian pulled off a stunning recovery in the decider for a 3-2 verdict in a group A league encounter in the Om Kotak Mahindra Asian billiards championship at Bangalore on Thursday. - Photo by K. Bhagya Prakash
BANGALORE, MAR. 21. Dhruv Sitwala is an exciting prospect. But the bespectacled Maharashtra lad did not justify his reputation in the first three days of the second Asian billiards championship, sponsored by Om Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance. On Thursday however, the stylish southpaw pulled off a remarkable unfinished break of 90 to snuff out the challenge from Mongkhon K of Thailand in the decider for a 3-2 verdict. Dhruv's 42-100, 101-24, 52-101, 102-43, 102-53 victory must surely have given the youngster's morale a boost. But coming as it did against an opponent twice his age, and with the home advantage, only goes on to add to the susceptibility factor. Dhruv's form fluctuated from a very high order one moment to ordinary the next. A 101 break in the third visit of the second frame enabled the youngster draw level at 1-1. But the veteran Thai, a silver medallist at the Bangkok Asian Games, came back strongly to take the third with a 76 break, with Dhruv unable to piece together a decent showing. A lucky roll in the fourth however, enabled the late entrant from India to take the match into the decider, in which he stared at defeat trailing 12-53. However, the opportunity that he (Dhruv) was looking for came by just then and there was no looking back as some fine in-offs and delicate cushions coupled with steady potting of the `red' saw the Indian compile an unfinished 90 at a crucial time for his third win after two scathing defeats. That the 100-up point format is up for anybody's grabs, with little regard to reputation, was underlined in no uncertain terms as the penultimate day of the league stage threw up quite a few upsets. Devendra Joshi quelled a late revival from Geet Sethi for a 3-2 verdict while more pronounced was Myanmar's U Kyaw Oo's stunning 3-2 defeat of Uden Khaimukh of Thailand. In a clash to determine group toppers, Joshi began on a whirlwind manner. A 97 in the second visit followed by a 88 in the third sufficed to give the Bharat Petroleum Officer the first two frames. Sethi was unmoved and when Joshi obliged with a couple of silly errors, the seven time World champion accepted the offer with a sly grin. However, Sethi faltered in the decider and Joshi, with an unfinished 35, wrapped up the frame and the match. Joshi thus remained unbeaten in the group. Ashok Shandilya, the India No. 1, also shrugged his loss to Pankaj Advani on day two with some excellent top of the table play to overwhelm Singapore's Theik Chong Alan Pouan, 3-0, having routed Thai Uden Kahimukh also by an identical margin in the morning session. Pankaj Advani beaten Alok Kumar ended Pankaj Advani's dream run in the league phase with a 3-1 win after losing the first frame. Alok won 80-102, 101-87, 101-33, 101-73. However, this defeat will not affect Pankaj's chances of making it to the quarterfinals. The results: Group A: Geet Sethi (Ind) bt Henry Boteju (SL) 3-0 (100-96, 100-28, 100-85); Devendra Joshi (Ind) bt Ronnie Chua Poh Teck (Sing) 3-0 (100-31, 100-2, 100-45); U Aung San Oo (myan) bt Muslim (Indo) 3-1 (102-16, 70-100, 100-29, 101-47); Dhruv Sitwala (Ind) bt Mongkhon K (Thai) 42-100, 101-24, 52-101, 102-43, 102-53); Devendra Joshi bt Geet Sethi 3-2 (102-6, 102-22, 30-101, 77-101, 101-80). Group B: Ashok Shandilya (ind) bt Uden Khaimukh (Thai) 3-0 (101-53, 102-96, 101-92); Alok Kumar (Ind) bt U Win Myint (Myan) 3-1 (77-101, 104-49, 101-83, 101-0); Glen Yeo Teck Shin (Sing) bt Theik Chong Alan Puan (Sing) 3-0 (101-53, 100-43, 100-97); Pankaj Advani (Ind) bt U Kyaw Oo (Myan) 3-1 (100-15, 56-100, 101-55, 101-42); Ashok Shandilya (Ind) bt Theik Chong Alan Puan (Sing) 3-0 (100-4, 102-29, 100-67); U Kyaw Oo bt Uden Khaimukh 3-2 (101-68, 100-24, 23-101, 78-100, 101-51); Alok Kumar (Ind) bt Pankaj Advani (Ind) 3-1 (80-102, 101-87, 101-33, 101-73).
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