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Elphinstone Cricket Club Sohrab Gandi & Naval Tata Open Handicap Billiards & Snooker Tournament 2010
26 May 2010
Lokare stuns Sitwala in Billiards
In one of the day’s most thrilling encounters, Lokare, playing with a +70 handicap, held his nerve to overcome the title favourite 200-190 in a second round tie.
Playing with a -280 handicap, India No. 4 Sitwala, who has reached four European Open championship rounds in the last 18 months, missed a couple easy chances, one while trailing 110-195 that included a simple red pot which prematurely ended a break of 50.
The ONGC HR executive put Lokare under pressure with that significant break to later close in at 190-198 in a stunning comeback. Sitwala had the match in his grasp at this stage and could have attempted the red that was on the spot while his cue ball was on the side cushion. But strangely, he chose to play safe, leaving Lokare a golden opportunity to fashion the biggest win of his career with a simple canon.
In another exciting second round tie, Reza Merchant of Bombay Gymkhana escaped to a narrow 200-190 win over Hrinabh Jain of North Indian Association.
Merchant, with a +50 handicap, was ahead 195-190 when he missed an in-off that offered Jain hope of an upset win. But Jain also missed an easy red and Merchant returned to pot the white to seal the match.
In snooker, Nishad Chowgule of PYC Gymkhana, Pune upset Pratyush Somayajula of Mandpeshwar Civic Federation 2-0 in the third round, while Mehernosh Captain of Elphinstone Cricket Club surprised Mangesh Gurav of Mumbai Port Trust 2-1 in the first round.
Result Snooker (3rd Round) Hasan Badami (+25, Islam Gym) bt Sahil Khan (+50, Islam Gym) 91-72, 116-86 Nishad Chowgule (+45, Pune) bt Pratyush Somayajula (+40, MCF) 110-53, 105-93
Snooker (2nd Round) Aditya Agrawal (+35, Bombay Gym) bt Poras Shah (+55, MIG) 107-78, 100-64 Siddharth Parikh (+20, PJ Hiindu Gym) bt Sanjeev Bijlani (+55, Park Club) 104-73, 79-88, 93-72 Amit Saboo (+25, Bombay Gym) bt Prabdeep Singh (+45, MIG) 85(52)-70, 104-56 Rishabh Jain (+40, Dadar Club) bt Hemant Kotekar (+60, Chembur Gym) 122-90, 85-119, 101-77
Snooker (1st Round) Mehernosh Captain (+60, Elphinstone CC) bt Mangesh Gurav (+55, MbPT) 105-99, 103-114, 121-73
Billiards (2nd Round) Sachin Lokare (+70, Vashi) bt Dhruv Sitwala (-280, PJ Hindu Gym) 200-190 Reza Merchant (+50, Bombay Gym) bt Hrinabh Shah (+70, North Indian Assn) 200-190
Billiards (1st Round) Deepak Khubchandani (+40, Khar Gym) bt Nishad Chowgule (+30, Pune) 200-150
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Anonymous
Sachin Lokare of Vashi fashioned the biggest upset of the tournament
when he shocked world No. 3 Dhruv Sitwala in billiards, in the All
India Sohrab Gandhi Open Handicap Billiards & Naval Tata Open
Handicap Snooker Tournament, organized and hosted by Elphinstone
Cricket Club, VT, on Wednesday.