The Catholic Gymkhana Open Handicap Snooker Tournament 2010

03 March 2010

Karkera pips Shetty in a thriller

Saumil Karkera of Garware Club House pipped Mohan Shetty in a third round thriller in the Goldfilled Open Handicap Snooker Tournament at the Catholic Gymkhana on Wednesday.

Karkera (+55) overcame Catholic Gymkhana’s Shetty (+55) 115-96, 85-102, 118-105 in a marathon encounter that lasted two and a half hours.

Both cueists were cautious as they traded a frame each after Shetty, enjoying home conditions, bounced back to snatch the second frame in the tightest contest of the day.

Fortunes fluctuated in the third and deciding frame even as Karkera began by firing in a significant break of 22. Just two points separated them as Shetty, who came up with a couple of brilliant snookers and trailed 105-107, missed a simple blue that rattled the centre pocket, with only the pink and black remaining.

Karkera seized the opportunity and returned to pot the blue before he fluked the pink in the centre pocket, much to Shetty’s dismay.

Karkera’s escape to victory overshadowed the efforts of Mandpeshwar Civic Foundation’s Ibrahim Shaikh who shocked fancied Roshan Mirchandani in the third round and ended the winning streak of PJ Hindu Gymkhana marker Ajit Kobnak in the fourth round for a place in the pre-quarter-finals. Shaikh’s effort included significant breaks of 27 and 24, respectively in the opening frame against Kobnak.

CCI marker Prakash Karande, Mahesh Jagdale of North Indian Association and V. Subramaniam were the fancied players who eased into the third round.

Results

(4th Rd)

Results (4th Rd): Ibrahim Shaikh (+50, MCF) bt Ajit Kobnak (+50, PJ Hindu Gym) 129-65, 108-63.

(3rd Rd):

Ibrahim Shaikh (+55, MCF) bt Roshan Mirchandani (+35, Khar Gym) 95-99, 107-83, 103-83

Saumil Karkera (+55, Garware Club House) bt Mohan Shetty (+55, Catholic Gym) 115-96, 85-102, 118-105.

(2nd Rd):

Prakash Karande (+55, CCI) bt Nihal Chavan (+55, MIG) 112-110, 100-80

Mahesh Jagdale (+35, North Indian Assn) bt Ravindra Shetty (+55, JVPG) 107-86

V. Subramaniam (+40, Matunga Gym) bt Pranav Desai (+45, Santacruz Gym) 114-84, 105-78.