Mumbai : Seasoned Sunil Jain of Elphinstone Cricket Club snatched a crucial win to qualify for the second round robin, in the MCF State Level Open Billiards Tournament, at the Mandpeshwar Civic Federation, Borivali on Wednesday.
Playing with a handicap of -80, Jain overcame formidable Jeet Gawde of Shivaji Park Gymkhana 280-138 to qualify from Group H behind topper Rovin D’Souza of PJ Hindu Gymkhana. Earlier in the day, Gawde, playing with a handicap of -40, won a crucial tie against young Vatsal Ponda of MCF to stay in contention. In a match where a win for both cueists was mandatory to qualify, Jain’s effort included a break of 58 at the start of the 200-up contest and a 42 at the end against a hapless Gawde who struggled for position.
Ninad Borkar of MIG also qualified from Group C following a crucial 283-230 win over Deepak Khubchandani of Khar Gymkhana who needed a win to keep his hopes alive but lost his way after a brief recovery. Rohan Jambusaria of MCF topped the group, while Borkar finished second. Besides Jambusaria, five others from the host club made it to the second round. The top two players from each of the 14 groups of four players each in the first phase qualify to join the elite eight invitees in the 250-up second round robin. Sixteen players from the second phase will qualify for the knock out pre-quarter-finals.
The winner will receive Rs. 30,000 and the runner-up Rs. 16,000.
