Malabar Hill Club’s Rajeev Sharma and Amit Sapru of Park Club were engaged a close fight before the former managed to scrape through by a tight 3-2 margin in the best-of-5-frame (150-up) quarter-final match of the Senior men’s billiards event of the BSAM organized Maharashtra State Junior Snooker and Senior Snooker & Billiards Selection (leg 1) Championship – 2019, played at the P.J. Hindu Gymkhana billiards room on Thursday.
Rajeev Sharma
Both Sharma and Sapru shared the first four frames as the contested went into the deciding fifth frame. In the decider, Sharma came good and compiled a match-winning effort of 71 to pocket the frame and clinch a 133-151, 84-152, 150-86, 150-39 and 151-19 vedict and a place in the semi-finals.
Sharma will clash with former Maharashtra champion Arun Agarwal of Matunga Gymkhana who defeated Khar Gymkhana youngster Kreishh Gurbaxani 3-0 (151-140, 151-95, 150-79).
Meanwhile, Radio Club’s talented cueist Rayaan Razmi showed great touch to defeat Hindu Gymkhana’s Anand Raghuvanshi (Hindu Gym) 3-0 (150-82, 150-72, 150-76) in another last eight encounter.
In the second semi-final, Rayaan will lock horns with Cricket Club of India’s Raj Khandwala who prevailed over Manan Shah of Malabar Hill Club by a 3-1 (117-150, 150-147, 150-126, 150-87) frame scores.
Results – quarter-finals: Rayaan Razmi (Radio Club) beat Anand Raghuvanshi (Hindu Gym) 3-0 (150-82, 150-72, 150(69)-76);
Raj Khandwala (CCI) beat Manan Shah (MHC) 3-1 (117-150, 150-147, 150-126, 150-87);
Arun Agrawal (Matunga Gym) beat Kreishh Gurbaxani (Khar Gym) 3-0 (151-140(60), 151(53)-95, 150(99)-79(48));
Raajeev Sharma (MHC) beat Amit Sapru (Park Club) 3-2 (133(42)-151, 84-152(43), 150-86, 150(65)-39, 151(71)-19).