Ishpreet Singh Chadha played a significant inspirational role by winning five of the six frames he played, which ensured that he and his seasoned partner Yasin Merchant emerged champions of the Rustomjee Builders- Khar Gymkhana Snooker Shootout 2019. The second-seeded Khar Gym pairing of Ishpreet and Yasin defeated the top-seeded mixed team of Aditya Mehta and Dhvaj Haria by a 5-3 margin in the best-of-9-frame final, at Khar Gymkhana’s Yasin Merchant Snooker Room. All the four cueists played with scratch handicaps.
Yasin Merchant (right) and Ishpreet Singh Chadha emerged champions of the Rustomjee Builders- Khar Gymkhana Snooker Shootout 2019.
The home favourites started with a stutter as two-time Asian champion Yasin was slow to settle down and lost tamely to Aditya 1-69 in the first 15-red frame before Ishpreet produced a fluent display and defeated the left-handed Dhvaj 51-1 in the 6-red second frame to level scores. Later, in the 15-red alternate shots doubles third frame, Aditya and Dhvaj put up a good performance and grabbed every opportunity to overcome Yasin and Ishpreet 62-47 and regain the lead (2-1).
Once again, Ishpreet rose to challenge against Aditya in the 15-red fourth frame and with clever play managed to clinch a tight 61-59 points victory in the fourth and tie the frame scores at 2-all.
Thereafter, the Yasin and Ishpreet duo were in complete control as they went on to the win the doubles, fifth frame to forge ahead before Ishpreet churned out another impressive showing to prevail over Dhvaj 45-34 in the 6-red sixth frame to extend their lead to 4-2.
Aditya kept his team’s hopes alive when, for the second time, he put it across his senior pro Yasin 83-21 in the 15-red seventh frame to cut the lead 3-4.
However, Yasin and Ishpreet showed excellent coordination and with some steady play outshone the top seeds Aditya and Dhvaj by comfortably winning the doubles eighth frame 72-32 to wrap up the contest and seal their triumph.
The champs Yasin and Ishpreet were presented with the winners’ trophy and they pocketed the top cash award of Rs 1.2 lakhs. Aditya and Dhvaj had to rest content with the runners-up prize of Rs 60,000. Cash awards were presented to the losing semi-finalist, quarter-finalist and the pre-quarter-finalists.
Results – final: Yasin Merchant/Ishpreet Singh Chadha beat Aditya Mehta/Dhvaj Haria 5-3.