Mumbai, Nov 23:
Jaiveer Dhingra of PJ Hindu Gymkhana registered a crucial 3-0 win in his concluding round robin tie to regain the junior snooker crown, in the Malabar Hill Club Maharashtra State Selection Billiards & Snooker Tournament on Saturday.
Dhingra, who won the junior billiards title on Thursday, made sure of the double and his 11th state title, with an exciting 58-50,92-14, 67-44 win over Nikhil Saigal of Khar Gymkhana after living dangerously in the first and third frames, in the best-of-five contest.
The margin of victory left no room for mathematics as Saigal finished second to qualify, along with Dhingra, to represent Maharashtra, with defending champion Ishpreet Singh Chadha of Bombay Gymkhana finishing third after prevailing over Lalit Yadav of Vashi by the same 3-0 margin.
ONGC cueist Dhingra, who won the junior snooker title in 2011 for the same double, won the opening frame in a close finish while trailing 36-50 and initiated a brilliant clearance to seal the frame on the black.
After going 2-0 ahead, Dhingra snatched the third frame on the pink but not before fortune favoured him with a fluke yellow and a fluke snooker.
Earlier, in the second round robin tie, Yadav, leading precariously at 70-64, snatched a sensational 3-2 win over Dhingra in a dramatic black ball finish after Dhingra, desperate for the black,encountered an unfortunate in-off while attempting a safety shot, to lose the decider 64-77.
Yadav’s surprise win threw the race for the title wide open as he along with Dhingra and Nikhil Saigal, who shocked Chadha, were in contention. But Yadav lost to Chadha in his third and concluding tie for his second defeat, leaving Dhingra and Saigal to battle it out for the crown.
Meanwhile, Dharmesh Mistry of Mandpeshwar Civic Federation, Borivali, Rishad Bharda of Elphinstone Cricket Club and Ashwin Deshmukh of Dadar Club qualified for the senior billiards round robin that will resume on Monday after Sunday’s rest day.
Results: Junior Snooker: Elite Round Robin: Nikhil Saigal (Khar Gym) bt Ishpreet Singh Chadha (Bombay Gym) 74-41, 31-62, 67-41, 43-53,64(58)-11; Lalit Yadav (Vashi) bt Jaiveer Dhingra (PJ Hindu Gym)73-34, 38-49, 53-21, 26-61, 77-64; Chadha bt Yadav 59-36, 50-44,61-24; Dhingra bt Saigal 58-50, 92-14, 67-44.
Senior Billiards (Qualifying Rd): Dharmesh Mistry (MCF) bt Rohit Jadhav (Nashik) 101-47, 102-86; Rishad Bharda (Elphinstone CC) bt Amit Joshi (MCF) 100-50, 95-100, 100-74; Ashwin Deshmukh (DadarClub) bt Manan Shah (Malabar Hill Club) 100-67, 100-62. (UNI)
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