Cricket Club of India’s Hasan Badami showed patience which paid rich dividends as he staged a grand recovery winning the final three frames on the trot to clinch a satisfying 4-3 victory against Radio Club’s Rayaan Razmi in the best-of-7-frame final of the Senior men’s snooker event of the BSAM organized Maharashtra State Junior Snooker and Senior Snooker & Billiards Selection (leg 1) Championship – 2019, played at the Bombay Gymkhana Gymkhana billiards room late on Friday night.
Cricket Club of India’s Hasan Badami won the Senior Snooker title in the BSAM organized Maharashtra State Junior Snooker and Senior Snooker & Billiards Selection (leg 1) Championship.
The experienced Hasan, who won his third senior snooker title, started in style as he rolled in a break of 36 to take the opening frame. But, the 17-year-old Rayaan who clearly lacked the experience, did well to put up determined display and with dame luck smiling on him, he managed to pocket the next three to race to a 3-1 lead. Rayaan who had earlier won the Junior snooker crown, lacked the killer instinct and was unable to finish things off and instead let Hasan of the hook.
Hasan smartly changed tactics and with some clever play fought back. He constructed a break of 47, but missed a simple black, to win the fifth frame. That win helped him to turn things around as he gained in confidence and put his young opponent in spot of bother with some tight snookers, and in particularly in the seventh. Rayaan who was leading 43-25 gave away more than 20 points which Hasan capitalised to win the decider and cross the finish line with the frame scores reading at 62-49, 52-59, 44-53, 41-63, 69-28, 62-37 and 70-43.
Earlier in the day, Rayaan prevailed over Vishal Vaya of Club Aquaria 4-2 margin in the second semi-final. Rayaan compiled a break of 50 in the sixth frame to close out the match with the frame scores reading 75-52, 36-52, 78-72, 62-83, 65-38 and 69-04 in his favour.
In the third-fourth place match Vishal got the better of Radio Club’s Cherag Ramakrishnan by a 3-1 score line. Ramakrishnan started with a 58 run in winning the first frame while Vishal had a break of 56 in the fourth frame and went on to complete a 11-71, 74-05, 61-16 and 70-41 victory.
Hasan pocketed 500 points for his efforts while Rayaan earned 450 points. Vishal and Ramakrishan received 400 and 350 points each.
Results – Final: Hasan Badami (CCI) beat Rayaan Razmi (Radio Club) 4-3 (62-49, 52-59, 44-53, 41-63, 69-28, 62-37, 70-43).
Semi-finals: Rayaan Razmi (Radio Club) beat Vishal Vaya (Club Aquaria) 4-2 (75-52, 36-52, 78-72, 62-83, 65-38, 69(50)-04).
Third-fourth place: Vishal Vaya (Club Aquaria) beat Cherag Ramakrishnan (Radio Club) 3-1 (11-71(58), 74-05, 61-16, 70(56)-41).