Hitesh Kotwani of Hindu Gymkhana and Vishal Madan of Chembur Gymkhana recorded contrasting semi-final victories to set up a clash in the billiards final of the BSAM Maharashtra State Senior Snooker & Billiards Selection (leg-2) Championship 2018, and played at the Bombay Gymkhana billiards room.
Chembur Gymkhana’s Vishal Madan scored a fluent 4-1 win against Rajeev Sharma of Malabar Hill Club in the billiards semi-final of the BSAM Maharashtra State Senior Snooker & Billiards Selection (leg-2) Championship 2018
In a penultimate round clash, Kotwani produced another disciplined performance to scrape past a fighting Arun Agrawal of Matunga Gymkhana in a tense and engrossing contest. Both Kotwani and former champion Agrawal showed good touch and struck the balls nicely and were engaged in a seesaw tussle as all the seven frames were close affairs before the Hindu Gym cueist Kotwani managed to pull through by a 4-2 score line in the best-of-7-frame race-to-150 point match. Kotwani compiled breaks of 58, 77, 44, 52 and 64, while had breaks of 37, 47, 38 and 52.
In contrast, Madan rallied to tame Malabar Hill Club’s Rajeev Sharma 4-1 in the second semi-final. Madan made a strong reply after losing the first frame as he won the subsequent four frames in succession to dash Sharma hopes by coasting to a 39-150, 150-24, 150-133, 150-15 and 150-148 victory.
Earlier, Otters Club’s Rishabh Thakkar, the winner of the first leg, crashed out in the quarter-finals losing 2-3 to former champion Arun Agrawal of Matunga Gymkhana in a keenly contested best-of-5-frame match.
Results –
(Semi-finals): Hitesh Kotwani (Hindu Gym) beat Arun Agrawal (Matunga Gym) 4-2 (150(58)-146, 55-150, 150(77)-90(37), 72(44)-150(47,38), 150(52)-128, 150(64)-122(52);
Vishal Madan (Chembur Gym) beat Raajeev Sharma (Malabar Hill Club) 4-1 (39-150(45,45), 150-24, 150-133, 150(84,59,39)-15, 150(59,57)-148(53,41).
Quarter-finals: Hitesh Kotwani (Hindu Gym) beat Sparsh Pherwani (Cricket Club of India) 3-2 (150(52)-140(77), 150(44)-111(43), 128(44,36)-150(44,38), 98-150(63,38), 150-87 }
Arun Agrawal (Matunga Gym) beat Rishabh Thakkar (Otters Club) 3-2 (114(49)-150(60), 150(49)-117, 150(39)-126(52), 148-150(42), 150(66)-102);
Vishal Madan (Chembur Gym) beat Rishabh Kumar (Garware Club House) 3-0 (150-82, 150-78(52), 150(46)-105);
Raajeev Sharma (Malabar Hill Club) beat Rayaan Razmi (Elphinstone Cricket Club) 3-2 (150(41)-102, 111-150(31), 150-45, 78-150, 150(32)-140).