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National Billiards & Snooker Championship 2008 - Indore
Yeshwant Club
Race Course Road - Indore - 452 003 - Madhya Pradesh
Sethi
Advani title fight in Billiards
By I.S. Malik
Billiards giants to clash again in National Final
By Pradeep Vijayakar
Sethi Advani
title fight in Billiards
By I.S. Malik
Divine grace continues to abound Indian billiards,
ample testimony of which was witnessed by the lucky audience which had gathered
at the Air Conditioned billiards hall of the Yeshwant Club here on Wednesday
evening even as the 2008 National Senior billiards championship entered the
ultimate round on the penultimate day of the three ball competition.
The Pride and Glory of Indian billiards, the charismatic Geet Sethi entered the
billiards final with consummate ease as he trounced Ashok Shandilya in a rather
one sided semifinal match while in the other semifinal, The Wonder Boy, Pankaj
Advani had to fight hard before getting the better of a plucky, Dhruv Sitwala to
set up a title clash with his arch rival in the final.
Geet beat Shandilya in four straight games in the best of seven games semis by
150- 82, 150-79, 150-16 and 151-12 points whereas Pankaj won by four games to
one by 152-94, 150-99, 58-153, 150-106 and 150-41 points.
Going by the past records, Shandilya had often got past Geet, even to the point
of being called the nemesis of Geet but Geet who is in tremendous form since the
last couple of years was the favourite in the first semifinal. However, nobody
could have thought that this match would be so one-sided. Playing copybook
billiards all-round the "green baize" before setting himself up at the top of
the table for the "floating object ball" style of play collecting point over
point in a clinical fashion, addressing the cue ball in a classical rhythm which
has defined him as a cueist who is just a cut above the rest.
Identical breaks of 136 each in the first two games fetched him a handy lead of
2-0. Shandilya tried his best to make a fight of it but his cue- delivery at
best was very erratic, his rhythm just not there as he struggled to make his
shots. Geet was in full flow in the third and fourth games getting another
century in the fourth to completely outplay his feisty opponent and enter the
billiards final.
On the other hand the match between Pankaj and Sitwala was a keenly contested
tie which saw Sitwala grind and grind to make his points. Pankaj was more sure
of his shots, his rhythm and timing almost immaculate although sometimes he did
look to be under some pressure for Sitwala also was quite upto the mark.
Actually the inability of Sitwala to finish the game when well set was the cause
of his undoing. Down by 0-2 games, Sitwala was in full flow in the third to
chalk up a fine break of 132 to reduce the margin at 1-2 games.
Nevertheless, as is often seen, when the chips are down, Pankaj always seems to
come up with that needed extra effort. Breaks of 121 in the fourth and a 134 in
the fifth proved the hallmark of a champion as he quelled the challenge of
Sitwala and more. The two breaks were in absolute rhythm, exquisite touch and
precision ball positioning.
In tomorrow's final which promises to be a cracker one, while it would be too
hazardous to guess the winner one thing is sure the only losers would be those
who being in Indore do not turn up at Fifteen hours for whosoever wins the match
definitely it is going to be sheer pleasure to watch, almost divine and it is a
great pity that the two sportsmen worthy of emulation still do not enjoy the
adulation which they so richly deserve.
Billiards giants to clash again
in National final
By Pradeep
Vijayakar
Geet Sethi entered his ninth National Billiards championship when he beat Ashok Shandilya 4-0 in the semi-finals of the 75th edition being organized by the MP Billiards and Snooker Association at the Yeshwant Club at Indore. He takes on the title holder Pankaj Advani who beat Dhruv Sitwala 4-1 in the other semi-final. Sitwala's only notable act was winning the third game with a 132 break. The last the time two met in a final Geet won . Pankaj beat him in the semis of the last event at Hyderabad.
At world championships it has been a ding-dong affair between them. Said Geet:
"It feels good to enter yet another final. My first title
was way back in 1981 and I had a purple patch winning four years in a row from
1985-88."
Advani said: "The fact that we are meeting each other
regularly is a reflection of the consistency we have been showing."
This is the first time the Nationals are being played on a point format doing
away with the time format two-hour and four-four matches of yore. Asked about it
Pankaj said: "If the spectators want the points format so
be it. In the time format if one player is playing well the match becomes
one-sided and boring for the spectators. It is okay if the two players are well
matched in a two-hour game."
Said Ashok Shandilya the loser: "My work as Central
Railway's sports officer didn't allow me enough days for practice my leave was
sanctioned only a few days ago. You should congratulate me for still making the
last four. I think Geet has a 60-40 edge over Pankaj for the title."