Mumbai: Reigning champion Sourav Kothari of PSPB grand fashion launched the defence of his title Mumbai’s Anurag Bagri 4-0 in a round of 64 best-of-7-frame match of the National Sports Club of India (NSCI) organised ‘Baulkline’ NSCI Rs 13 lakh prize-money All India Snooker Open 2023, at the NSCI billiards hall, on Tuesday. The Kolkata-based Kothari quickly settled down and uncorked a fluent break of 95 in the first frame and signed off with a neat 79 effort to complete a fluent 95-0, 75-40, 70-33, and 99-2 victory with a degree of comfort.
Meanwhile, seasoned cueist and billiards pro Devendra Joshi (PSPB) showed that he is equally proficient in the multi-coloured cue sport and won a close decider and got the better of compatriot and former National champion Manan Chandra to advance to the round of 32. The Delhi based Chandra after tamely losing the opening frame fought back to take a 3-2 lead. But, Joshi who had constructed a break of 80 in the fourth, showed solid fighting spirit and pocketed the remaining two frames to snatch a tense 4-3 (0-109, 69-21, 31-80, 95-28, 56-58, 60-36, and 65-50) success.
India women National snooker and billiard champion Amee Kamani of Madhya Pradesh the lone lady competitor did not look overawed and instead produced a sterling performance and blanked qualifier Manav Panchal of Mumbai waltzing to a fluent 4-0 (70-25, 53-45, 63-40, and 54-7) victory. Later, in the evening, PSPB’s Laxman Rawat was unfortunate to miss the maximum during his straight frame 4-0 defeat of Rajwardhan Joshi in another round of 64 match.
Rampaging Rawat
Rawat comfortably won the first frame and then rattled in a run of 76 in the second. In the third he was in full flow and looked set to record a 147 break. After pocketing the 12th red he did well to sink the black, but the cue ball after hitting the top cushion went behind the pink which covered the remaining three reds. He tried his best to pot a red but did not succeed and the break ended at 96 much to his dismay and the snooker fans present in the arena. Rawat eased to 73-23, 89-1, 96-0 and 64-35 victory.
Results – Round of 64: Rajat Khaneja (Har) beat Anmoldeep Singh (Pun ) 4-3 (57-39, 51-81, 59-33, 43-70, 40-54, 68-36, 66-38); R. Girish (Rly) beat Kalpesh Mewada (Mum) 4-2 (64-37, 52-60, 13-59, 65-15, 72-32, 65-29); Piyush Kushwaha (MP) beat Sumerh Mago (Mum) 4-1 (76-44, 13-82, 76-53, 85-9, 82-31); Saad Sayed (Pun) beat Luv Kukreja (Del) 4-2 (64-34, 76-23, 63-8, 54-60, 24-74, 58-15); Rayaan Razmi (Mum) beat Nikhil Saigal (Mum) 4-1 (68-54, 91-15, 72-0, 61-74, 70-35); E. Pandurangaiah (Rly) beat Rajeev Sharma (Mum) 4-1 (79(79)-9, 86-6, 67-1, 32-76, 89-20); Hasan Badami (Mum) beat Karmesh Patel (Guj) 4-0 (70-29, 72-32, 79-27, 63-17); Malkeet Singh (Rly) beat Mohd Hussain (Rly ) 4-3 (58-59, 71-9, 44-88, 39-68, 112-32, 63-43, 69-47); Sourav Kothari (PSPB) beat Anurag Bagri (Mum) 4-0 (95(95)-0, 75-40, 70-33, 99(79)-2); Devendra Joshi (PSPB) beat Manan Chandra (PSPB) 4-3 (0-109, 69-21, 31-80, 95(80*)-28, 56-58, 60-36, 65-50); Amee Kamani (MP) beat Manav Panchal (Mum) 4-0 (70-25, 53-45, 63-40, 54-7); Laxman Rawat (PSPB) beat Rajwardhan Joshi (Mum) 4-0 (73-23, 89(76)-1, 96(96)-0; 64-35); Rrahul Savhdev (Mum) Vs Monu Choudury (Del) 4-3 (21-80, 0-96(80), 77-9, 88(54)-16, 70-44, 17-73, 84-0); Dilip Kumar (Rly) beat Rovin D'Souza (Rly) 4-2 (7-76, 83-35, 35-74, 71-61, 78(62)-13, 91(61)-28);
