A stoic and unfazed Alok Kumar weathered Canadian Jason Williams's challenge at 4-2 in Group E in the IBSF World snooker championship here on Tuesday on a day which began badly for Indians.
Alok struggled in the first frame, both with his safety and potting. But once he got his rhythm, there was a lot of poise and purpose. He raced to a 3-1 lead, pocketing the second third and fourth without much ado. After Jason had come up with a break of 72 in the fifth, Alok was forced on his backfoot. But the Punjab cueist, who later informed that he has had no much match practice coming to the championship, compiled a fine 84 to win 4-2.
Yasin Merchant however had no such luck despite a fine recovery to go 3-2 after being 0-2 down. In the sixth, a poor pink miss was enough for England's Martin O'Donnell to bounce back and shut out Merchant.
Advani in good nick
Pankaj Advani, the Indian hope, looked in great nick as he posted a quick 4-0 win over the Pole Marcin Nitschke, with a 95 in the third and a fine 108 in the fourth.
“Yes I'm happy with my game. The flow was perfect” said the local lad. “The break of 95 in the third was more satisfying for there was some good roll of balls for me…I managed to squeeze through a tight corner to make it. The century break in the fourth was just a topping after that effort” said Advani.
Saleh Mohammed of Afghanistan produced the championship's highest break of 141 enroute to a 4-0 win over Russian Vladimir Bykov. “I needed to win after yesterday's win and a loss” said the Afghan, who has a previous best of 147 at the 2008 Asian championship in Dubai. He was the losing finalist to Advani at the 2003 IBSF Worlds in China.
Iraq's Firas Kamil Shaba was scratched from the championship for conceding a walkover for the second day.
The results (Indians unless mentioned):
Group A: Kevin Van Hove (Bel) bt Manan Chandra 4-2 (65-14, 71-21, 48-37, 21-77, 66-54, 70-23); Ahmed Aly Elsayed (USA) bt Misja Van Vonderen (Ned) 4-1 (26-78, 64-41, 61-25, 61-27, 74-1).
Group B: Omar Al Kojah (Syr) bt Bairaq Al-Urfy (Swe) 4-1 (80-49, 40-81, 70-52, 55-40, 68-0); Martin O'Donnell (Eng) bt Yasin Merchant 4-3 (73-12, 56-29, 54-66, 4-66, 1-77, 77-38, 80-24).
Group C: Ehsan Heydari Nezhad (Iri) bt Blkasem Dabob (Lib) 4-0 (109, 131-0, 78-11, 83-5); Rodney Goggins (Ire) bt Anuj Uppal 4-1 (80-37, 33-63, 55-11, 81-16, 75-14).
Group D: Pankaj Advani bt Marcin Nitschke (Pol) 4-0 (101-1, 61-23, 100-29, 108-23); Pascal Camenzind (Sui) bt Astutoshi Inoue (Jpn) 4-0 (67-39, 73-19, 73-14, 70-15); Yaser Elsherbiny (Egy) bt Antti Silvo (Fin) 4-1 (61-29, 58-47, 72-37, 26-78, 57-48).
Group E: Alok Kumar bt Jason Williams (Can) 4-2 (42-66, 87-2, 119-0, 73-15, 20-72, 85-0); Lee Walker (Wal) bt Hisham Rashid Al Saqer (Bah) 4-0 (76-1, 99-7, 89-2, 60-44); Mark Boyle (Sco) bt Sergelen Batdelger (Mon) 4-0 (72-21, 75-9, 70-5, 63-26); Williams bt Sergelen Batdelger (Mon) 4-3 (50-60, 33-65, 86-1, 69-23, 61-68, 75-5, 62-50); Boyle bt Al Saqer 4-0 (122-0, 79-31, 74-27, 80-9).
Group F: Mohamed Isa Ebrahim Sheikh (Bah) bt Bernhard Bernhardsson (Isl) 4-1 (61-28, 43-54, 69-25, 104-8, 95-37); Fung Kwok Wai (HK) bt Joe Minici (Aus) 4-1 (21-63, 66-23, 98-0, 101-14, 61-39); Gregory Kopec (Fra) bt Ebrahim Shaikh 4-1 (93-30, 39-81, 77-19, 79-40, 67-49); Kwok Wai bt Lalrina Renthlei 4-2 (67-45, 44-73, 101-0, 74-14, 30-64, 97-30); Minici bt Bernhardsson 4-1 (87-16, 85-38, 61-51, 53-55, 59-32).
Group G: Hossein Vafaei Ayouri (Iri) bt I.H. Manudev 4-0 (72-32, 76-11, 73-42, 77-0); Saleh Mohammed (Afg) bt Vladimir Bykov (Rus) 4-0 (49-29, 141-0, 66-34, 105-14); I. H. Manudev bt Bykov 4-0 (57-24, 72-28, 107-8, 74-24.
Group H: Ali Jaafar (Fra) bt Antti Mannila (Fin) 4-3 (61-13, 60-28, 6-77, 16-61, 19-63, 59-56, 68-55); Susantha Boteju (SL) bt Pierre Jordaan (RSA) 4-1 (36-25, 30-63, 61-34, 63-50, 65-15); Jordaan bt Jaafar 4-3 (52-63, 64-38, 90-20, 44-75, 0-72, 74-4, 61-34); Yusuke Tanaka (Jpn) bt Boteju 4-2 (2-58, 80-23, 36-71, 63-32, 63-39, 54-17); Mohamed Shehab (UAE) bt Tanaka 4-1 (63-33, 77-30, 41-63, 85-1, 78-0).
Group J: Imran Shahzad (Pak) bt Byoung Hwa Ro (Kor) 4-0 (72-2, 102-15, 98-7, 74-25); Mark Tuite (Ire) bt Hwa Ro 4-0 (83-52, 56-8, 72-9, 50-33); Krzysztof Wrobel (Pol) bt Arjun Lavingia (Tnz) 4-1 (76-5, 58-30, 86-39, 4-63, 68-13); Wrobel bt Tuite 4-2 (56-33, 66-15, 29-63, 55-45, 58-84, 62-48).
Group K: Ali Abd Mohsin (Irq) bt Farhan Mirza (Swe) 4-3 (14-72, 33-61, 68-47, 26-95, 78-30, 68-41, 70-12); Steve Mifsud (Aus) bt Mohd. Al Joaker (UAE) 4-0 (60-18, 90-4, 65-53, 87-7); Sergiy Isayenks (Ukr) bt Mirza 4-2 (0-69, 76-29, 65-54, 30-67, 52-43, 45-34).
Group L: Brijesh Damani bt Craig Macgillivray (Sco) 4-3 (79-47, 60-45, 3-116, 76-10, 47-76, 50-60, 93-); Noppon Saengkham (Tha) bt Gary Gillard (NZ) 4-1 (58-18, 77-7, 62-65, 71-19, 79-8); Brendan O' Donoghue (Ire) bt Toh Chee Keong (Sin) 4-0 (69-9, 73-39, 64-28, 73-21); Damani bt Antonis Poullos (Cyp) 4-1 (81-63, 71-1, 67-22, 41-51, 61-34); Macgillivray bt Gary Gillard (NZ) 4-2 (106-28, 77-21, 42-68, 78-45, 30-67, 71-21).
Group M: Vinnie Calabrese (Aus) bt Karl Heinz Beggel (Ger) 4-1 (66-26, 44-22, 92-0, 11-65, 62-44); Rais Khan Sen Zahi (Afg) bt Michael Wild (Eng) 4-0 (80-1, 69-25, 65-28, 78-40); Muhammad Asif (Pak) bt Karl Heinz Beggel (Ger) 4-0 (80-10, 110-1, 68-15, 61-58); Calabrese bt Rais Khan Sen Zahi (Afg) 4-2 (14-78, 71-44, 37-61, 69-53, 75-32, 95-0).
Group N: Wael Talaat (Egy) bt Andreas Ploner (Aut) 4-2 (39-73, 71-0, 48-29, 30-72, 84-1, 65-25); Wael Talaat (Egy) bt Toh Chee Keong (Sin) 4-0 (95-1, 75-26, 91-0, 72-28).
Group P: Hitesh Naran (RSA) bt Ryan Somaratna (SL) 4-1 (66-33, 78-1, 70(62)-14, 0-74, 77-57); Kamal Chawla bt Joris Maas (Ned) 4-1 (79-15, 67-53, 55-64, 52-47, 70-60); Naran bt Stefan Schneider (Sui) 4-0 (69-0, 76-29, 58-17, 76-32); Maas bt Ryan Somaratna (SL) 4-2 (79-32, 94-0, 82-5, 17-69, 25-59, 65-29).
Group Q: Richards Rhydian (Wal) bt Enkhjargal Enkhbaatar (Mon) 4-3 (75-10, 23-61, 63-17, 47-58, 34-64, 70-16, 89-1); Mohamed Khairy (Egy) bt Balaji Reddy 4-2 (38-68, 75-46, 83-0, 32-67, 74-21, 90-5); Rhydian bt Costas Konnaris (Cyp) 4-2 (131-0, 72-41, 68-21, 8-85, 1-80, 66-54); Khairy bt Enkhbaatar 4-1 (91-0, 77-5, 44-54, 94-32, 85-16).
Group R: Au Chi Wai (HK) bt Neeraj Kumar 4-2 (6-62, 82-2, 5-83, 66-30, 74-32, 121-3); Karam Fatima (Syr) bt Ajeya Prabhakar (USA) 4-1 (72-25, 63-66, 55-2, 64-8, 87-32).
