Vishal Gehani of Park Club won a tight deciding frame to claim a close 4-3 win against Otters Club’s Joseph Menezes in a tense and exciting quarter-final (best-of-7-frame) clash of the BSAM Grassroot Snooker Challenge 2018, at the Matunga Gymkhana billiards hall.
Chiplun’s Siddhesh Mulay sidelined Matunga Gymkhana’s Percy Patel 4-2 (30-56, 57-18, 76-83, 49-30, 54-39 and 77-24 in a quarter-final encounter of the BSAM Grassroot Snooker Challenge 2018.
Both Gehani and Menezes were locked in an interesting battle and the Park Club cueist employed some clever tactical play to put his opponent under pressure and wrested the initiative by pocketing the first three frames. But, Menezes proved to be a tough customer as he gradually got into a groove and in remarkable fashion won the subsequent three frames to level scores and take match to the wire. In the decider, Menezes and Gehani continued their bitter fight but the latter managed to narrowly with the seventh frame to clinch a relieving 55-12, 67-30, 58-27, 1-65, 42-62, 23-62 and 51-43 victory.
Sanjiv Bijlani another Park Club player also progressed to the last four round recording a hard-fought 4-2 win against Chiplun’s Omkar Gore. Bijlani lost the first frame, but recovered to script a 32-62, 57-30, 51-65, 62-37, 69-57 and 56-27 success.
Menahile, Siddhesh Mulay of Chiplun continued to march ahead as he sidelined Matunga Gymkhana’s Percy Patel 4-2 (30-56, 57-18, 76-83, 49-30, 54-39, 77-24 in another quarter-final encounter.
Juhu Vile Parle Gymkhana’s Divesh Gangwani complete the semi-final line-up when he easily ousted Thane cueist Jagdish Khade 4-1 (41-19, 20-93, 56-13, 56-25 and 58-34) in the fourth quarter-final match.
Results – (quarter-finals): Vishal Gehani (Park Club) beat Joseph Menezes (Otters Club) 4-3 (55-12, 67-30, 58-27, 1-65(30,28), 42-62, 23-62, 51-43); Divesh Gangwani (JVPG) beat Jagdish Khade (Thane) 4-1 (41-19, 20-93(40), 56-13, 56-25, 58-34); Siddhesh Mulay (Chiplun) beat Percy Patel (Matunga Gym) 4-2 (30-56, 57-18, 76-83, 49-30, 54-39, 77-24); Sanjiv Bijlani (Park Club) beat Omkar Gore (Chiplun) 4-2 (32-62, 57-30, 51-65, 62-37, 69-57, 56-27).