Aditya Mehta, India’s only snooker professional is, has teamed up with Leicester-based Mukesh Parmar, who was for many years manager of the current world No. 1 from England, Mark Selby. Parmar runs the Winchester Snooker Club and has shaped the careers of talented snooker players. The 29-year-old Mehta beat England’s Hammad Miah 4-0 in the Indian Open 2015 qualifier played at Barnsley on February 12 and 13.
Mehta is currently ranked World No. 49, his best in pro-snooker. “Absolutely delighted to be through to the Indian open with a good win, Mumbai beckons,’’ Mehta, the 2013 Indian Open finalist tweeted after he won the first round of the 128 man draw in the Barnsley qualifier.
In the run-up to the £300,000 Indian Open to be played in Mumbai from March 10 to 14, Mehta lost 2-5 to lowly ranked (103) Chinese Zhang Anda in the China Open qualifier (Feb.14-15) , but he beat England’s Sydney Wilson 4-0 and World No. 5 Barry Hawkins 4-2, before losing 0-4 to Scotland’s World No. 25 Alan McManus in the Welsh Open (Feb. 16-22) .
He’s scheduled to play Finland’s Robin Hull in the first round of the Euro Tour 6 event in Poland and Thailand’s Noppon Saengkham in the first round of the one-frame Shoot Out at Blackpool, before flying to his home town for the Indian Open. Mehta is drawn to meet England’s World No. 34, Mark King in the Indian Open first round.
“It’s (preparation) good, got a couple of events before the Indian Open. I am in it (pro-snooker) for the long term. I would be happy to have another ten years. The game is a lot more aggressive and the scoring is heavy. I have got together with a new coach (Mukesh Parmar) and so there are a few changes in my game. I was down with injury from last June till November, so I had lost a bit of ground,’’ said Mehta from Poland on the eve of the Euro Tour 6 GDYNia open.
Six Indians who have qualified from the wild-card event held in Pune last year are Pankaj Advani, Brijesh Damani, Neeraj Kumar, Dharminder Lily, Sumit Talwar and Faisal Khan.
Sixty-four professionals have made it to the Indian Open from the Barnsley qualifier, and the Indian wild cards will play a pre-first round match against a select-six that will be decided by the world body.
