Time Format Begins

Match 8: I know I should go with match sequence but when someone like Mike is on fire, all eyes turn automatically to him. In the opening session match Mike Russell took India’s Rupesh Shah on challenge in a time format match. Rupesh surely did not want to be a spectator like last night’s final between Mike and Pankaj, but one can’t do something when the situation is ‘you propose, God dispose’. Rupesh after winning the lag started the match and crafted 41 in his second visit and played a couple of safeties without knowing that Mike’s seventh visit is going to be a massive one. The seventh visit, Mike blazed everything from his gun (cue) and smashed a 774 in a very short time. He was open and he demonstrated almost every shot he has in this 774. Rupesh was merely a spectator and he remained till Russell missed white in-off on top-table. With nothing to lose Rupesh gathered all his energy again, which he wasted while sitting idle, and in his 9th visit scored 80 to get his rhythm back, followed by 140 in the 13th visit. This was again countered by Mike with 241 in his 13th visit only to maintain the lead. Already lost, Rupesh can only narrow the losing margin which he did by crafting two breaks of 251 and 166 in the time left in the match.

Match 1: After recovering from illness and missing out on the point format, Phil Mumford (England) made his presence felt in the time format against Nay Thway Oo of Myanmar. Playing consistently both the cueists played some good knocks each with one century break. In the end, Nay Thway Oo stepped ahead, defeating Phil Mumford by 116 points.

Match 2: The weighty Indian cueist Ashok Shandilya took on challenge the Irishman Aidan Murray. With six double figure breaks Shandilya defeated Aidan by a difference of 359 points. Shandilya missed a century in the 16th visit by one point.

Match 3: Kyaw Oo (Myanmar) discovered himself for the time format. Starting with breaks of 100, 116 the in 3rd and 6th visits, he scored a break of 241 in the 17th visit while playing against Alok Kumar of India. Alok managed to score only one century break in the 12th visit. He also scored 81 in his last visit before bowing down to Kyaw Oo by 682 points.

Match 4: B. Bhaskar (India) played against Korean Tae Hoon Jung in Group B match and as presumed, Bhaskar finished with two century breaks of 135 and 168 in 28th and 43rd visit. The Korean managed a break of 57 only in his 9th visit. Bhaskar defeated him by 708 points.

Match 5: Another big gun of English Billiards, Peter Gilchrist outplayed another Englishman Billy Bousfield by 745 points. Peter scored a total of 1364 comprising breaks of 144, 288, 291 and 352 in the 8th, 19th, 28th and 31st visits respectively. Near to closing time, Billy managed two century breaks of 115 and 136 in the 35th and 37th visits.

Match 6: Dhruv Sitwala from India also sailed without hurdle against the Korean challenge of Min Hu Baek. Though the Korean cueist scored a total 394 in the three hour match, he managed to score only 34 in his 8th visit. Dhruv smashed only one century break i.e. 167 in the 7th visit before winning by 741 points.

Match 7: Just like match No.6, Joshi repelled the Korean challenge from Chul Ho Hwang by a difference of 1166 points. Chul score a break of 33 in the 25th visit. Joshi scored 240 and 273 in the 16th and 31st visits.