Mumbai : Former women’s world No. 1 Kelly Fisher of England won back-to-back ties to storm into the quarter-finals, in the Otters Club All India 9-Ball Pool Tournament, on Friday.
Fisher endured a gruelling but rewarding day but made the transition smooth from the runway to the pool table following wins over Delhi duo Hitanshu Manchanda and Avinash Kumar and Rishabh Thakkar of Mumbai in the Pool A round robin, with only Kumar posing a stiff challenge after leading 5-3 and going down 8-9 in a thriller.
No stranger to Mumbai, having finished runner-up to compatriot Lisa Quick in the 2001 CCI Ladies Invitation Snooker, Fisher later faced another strong challenge in the pre-quarter-finals against Daksh Reddy of Karnataka. Reddy recovered from 1-4 to 4-5 before the Englishwomen surged to 7-4 and never looked back, after Reddy, trailing 6-8, missed the brown (7) in the crucial 15th rack in the race-to-nine.
“The conditions are absolutely fine,” revealed Fisher. “I’ve started off well, though I’ve not been able to practice. It was close (against Avinash Kumar), but that’s what happens in 9-ball. It’s exciting to the very end. Anything can happen.”
The former WPA world champion added: “This event is fantastic. We have top-class facilities here at the beautiful Otters Club. Hope the sport grows, which will be good for Indian cue sport. China has already raised the bar. We need more events like this. It’s the only way players can improve their game. Let’s get India on the map.”
