Date:19/09/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/09/19/stories/2008091957021700.htm

Sport - Billiards & Snooker

Sethi survives a scare

Sports Reporter

Manan prevails over Antim

— Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

CLOSE ENCOUNTER: Geet Sethi had to use all his skill and experience to beat Manish Jain.

CHENNAI: Geet Sethi endured a major scare on the final day of group matches at the Alliance Group-ASCA snooker tournament here on Thursday, coming through in five frames against Manish Jain to enter the last 16. Manish won the first frame, potting the respotted black ball after it had ended 49-all.

After taking the second 53-48, Sethi, trailing 21-56 in the third, asked repeated questions of Manish’s ability off the cushions, a ripple of applause greeting each snook.

The 20-year-old from Kolkata answered emphatically almost each time, conceding just two fouls on his way to taking the frame 85-36.

Sethi took the fourth 77-24, combining his crafty snooks with improved potting. In the fifth, Manish made a 44 break to take a 46-7 lead.

After Sethi replied with 14, Manish took 10 more points before making a crucial error on a red, leaving it dangling invitingly for Sethi to roll it into the top right pocket.

Having done that, Sethi cleared the table with a 41 break, rapturous applause greeting his shot to sink pink, cue ball meandering into place behind the black after nudging the pink into the right side pocket.

Antim Singhi endured heartbreak in his quest for a knock-out berth, drawing level with a break of 102 in the fourth frame after going 0-2 down, only for Manan Chandra to shut the door with an early 53 in the fifth.

Shravan qualifies

Junior National snooker champion Shravan Mohta upset Ashok Shandilya in four frames, qualifying at the expense of R. Karthik.

Shandilya also qualified on the basis of better frame difference.

In the final match of the day, Sourav Kothari made amends for Wednesday’s defeat to R. Girish by beating Kamal Chawla in straight frames to advance to the last 16.

The results:

Group ‘A’: Pankaj Advani bt M.C. Manoj 74-53, 89-20, 108-0. Group ‘B’: Manan Chandra bt Pushparaj 32-68, 66-56, 52-28, 56-26; Manan bt Antim Singhi 78-13, 68-24, 58-69, 0-124, 78-7.

Group ‘C’: Sourav Kothari bt Kamal Chawla 70-37, 80-42, 71-60. Group ‘D’: Shahbaz Adil Khan bt M.S. Arun 64-58, 98-46, 79-8; Alok Kumar bt R. Loganathan 75-50, 70-21, 59-1; Group ‘E’: Rupesh Shah bt Faisal Khan 56-65, 100-29, 59-42, 56-18. Group ‘F’: Manish Jain bt Vijay Nichani 22-67, 70-27, 81-59, 91-14; Geet Sethi bt Manish Jain 49-56, 53-48, 36-85, 77-24, 62-56; Sethi bt Rafath Habib 66-46, 65-11, 68-59.

Group ‘G’: Shravan Mohta bt Ashok Shandilya 74-63, 40-75, 82-35, 85-8. Group ‘H’: Devendra Joshi bt Rishab Pandya 76-25, 32-77, 52-79, 139(131)-0, 67-18; Joshi bt Neeraj Kumar 41-95, 62-36, 51-60, 67-14, 66-42.