Date:13/02/2003 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2003/02/13/stories/2003021306832000.htm

Sport - Billiards & Snooker

Taneja makes super eight with victory over Shandilya

HYDERABAD FEB.12. Varun Taneja of Delhi confirmed his place in the super eight snooker event to be played later by virtue of his impressive win over former National champion Ashok Shandilya in the quarterfinals of the National selection tournament in billiards and snooker at Jubilee Hills International Centre here today.

The other three who made it to the super eight were Manan Chandra, Rafath Habib and Alok Kumar.

Late in the evening, Alok Kumar, who survived a scare from Rishabh Thukral in the quarterfinal, blanked Varun Taneja 5-0 in the best of nine-frame semifinal and in the process recording the tournament's highest break of 114.

Rafath Habib outwitted Alok Kumar in the final to grab the top spot in Group B in the super eight draw.

The super eight groupings:

Group A: Pankaj Advani, Alok Kumar, Dharmendra Lilly and Manan Chandra.

Group B: Rafath Habib, Yasin Merchant, Varun Taneja and Siddarth Parikh.

The results: Snooker (Quarterfinals):

Rafath Habib bt Antim Singhi 72-49, 108-7 61-56, 8-64, 69-31, 63-74, 67-23; Manan Chandra bt Mukesh Rehani 96-0, 67-39, 61-1, 69-36, 96-6; Varun Taneja bt Ashok Shandilya 12-79, 13-71, 59-13, 47-85, 94-12, 38-76, 63-14, 67-29, 59-24; Alok Kumar bt Rishabh Thukral 134-0, 7-72, 40-74, 78-36, 69-35, 51-53, 55-28, 22-71, 68-24.

Semifinals: Rafath Habib bt Manan Chandra 67-33, 23-83, 57-46, 75-15, 4-92, 74-32, 72-58; Alok Kumar bt Varun Taneja 115-0, 71-53, 95-50, 75-32, 44-35.

Final: Rafath Habib bt Alok Kumar 22-59, 66-47, 60-24, 69-30, 63-38, 14-76, 69-47.