Date:08/03/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/03/08/stories/2008030855972000.htm

Sport - Billiards & Snooker

Vatnani in last eight

MUMBAI: Lucky Vatnani carved out a 3-1 win over Hasan Badami to enter the quarterfinals from Group ‘C’ in the Khar Gymkhana-Shyam Shroff memorial open snooker tournament at the Khar Gymkhana on Friday.

The Hyderabad cueist, on a hot streak in the event, lost the opening frame 11-67 to the Mumbai player but recovered to make a 95-break in the third.

Manan Chandra of PSPB lost to Group ‘C’ leader Yasin Merchant of Mumbai 51-39, 76-29, 11-73(73), 56(40)-63(63), 60-2 to make his exit.

The results:

Group ‘A’: Shravan Mohta (Indian Oil) bt Devendra Joshi (PSPB) 63-34, 69-36, 49-36; Pankaj Advani (PSPB) bt Devendra Joshi 13-68(46), 82(82)-31, 90(53)-1, 84(47)-32.

Group ‘B’: Rupesh Shah (Gujarat) bt Ashok Shandilya (Railways) 24-63, 77-18, 61-38, 38-59, 66-58; Aditya Mehta (Mumbai) bt Ashok Shandilya 9-55, 65-13, 108(48)-1, 54(54)-13; Faizal Khan (Rlys) bt Nikhil Ootam (Mumbai) 25-65, 69-8, 78-48, 54-15.

Group ‘C’: Manan Chandra (PSPB) bt Rafath Habib (Rlys) 63-16, 65-53, 67-4; Lucky Vatnani (Hyderabad) bt Hasan Badami (Mumbai) 11-67, 59-26, 95(95)-1, 54-8; Yasin Merchant (Mumbai) bt Manan Chandra 51-39, 76(61)-29, 11-73(73), 56(40)-63(63), 60-24.

Group ‘D’: Sarang Shroff (Mumbai) bt Sourav Kothari (PSPB) 54-18, 78(52)-17, 37-77, 30-62, 59-9; Alok Kumar (Punjab) bt Marzdi Kalyaniwala (Mumbai) 81(50)-24, 86(61)-1, 43-67(47), 44-71, 56-46; Alok bt Sarang Shroff 79-38, 101(68)-1, 68-28.