9-Red Open Handicap Snooker Tournament 2017
Poras Shah marches past Pathare into 2nd round
03-Mar-2017
Poras Shah
Mumbai: Poras Shah was in good form and found the going easy as he defeated Loucik Pathare in three straight frames 3-0 in a first round match of the Matunga Gymkhana 9-Red Open Handicap Snooker Tournament 2017, which is sponsored and hosted by Matunga Gymkhana and played at the gymkhana’s billiards hall.
The Matunga Gym player, Shah who started with a handicap of +24 points played confidently and hardly made many errors to sent Pathare (+29 handicap) crashing out of the tournament. Even after Pathare made a break of 23 in the first frame, Shah showed strong nerves and played consistently to snatch the frame to take a 1-0 lead. He then compiled a break of 37 which helped to pocket the second frame before he also won the third to wrap up the match with the scores reading 73-60(23), 70(37)-42 and 65-50 and take his place in the second round.
In the other one-sided first round matches, Dharmesh Mistry (+35) overcame Vimal Thakkar (+32) 3-0 (64-47, 77-49, 60-43); Sahil Kakad (+35) outplayed Luv Boricha (+35) 3-0 (81-60, 79-55, 80-68) and Huzefa Cheni (+35) enjoyed total control defeating Tanay Sheth (+42) 3-0 (79-59, 84-74, 96-56).
In one of the most exciting match, Avinash Gaikwad (+35) found form when it mattered most and overcame Nilesh Sagar (+35) 3-2 in a topsy-turvy first round encounter. Sagar who was trailing 1-2 came up with a good effort making a break of 28 to win the fourth frame and level the scores at 2-all. But in the final frame, Gaikwad though tense managed to pull through to score a crucial win which resulted in his 81-55, 75-82, 93-71, 61-78(28), 72-66 victory.
Results (round one): T. Shridhar (+39) bt Meet Mirchandani (+39) 3-0 (76-64, 96-49, 94-64); Avinash Gaikwad (+35) bt Nilesh Sagar (+35) 3-2 (81-55, 75-82, 93-71, 61-78(28), 72-66); Amardeep Bharaj (+39) bt D. Dias (+39) 3-0 (78-37, 75-51, 92-54); Omkar Pawar (+35) bt Joel Jenson (+39) 3-1 (79-64, 66-79, 78-60, 74-47); Dharmesh Mistry (+35) bt Vimal Thakkar (+32) 3-0 (64-47, 77-49, 60-43); Sahil Kakad (+35) bt Luv Boricha (+35) 3-0 (81-60, 79-55, 80-68); Huzefa Cheni (+35) bt Tanay Sheth (+42) 3-0 (79-59, 84-74, 96-56); Poras Shah (+24) bt Loucik Pathare (+29) 3-0 (73-60(23), 70(37)-42, 65-50); Neville Razmi (+32) bt Vishal Gehani (+32) 3-1 (60-78, 75-52, 78(35)-37, 76-62); Nakul Patil (+39) bt Rahul Chandan (+35) 3-0 (84-62, 78-68, 73-67).