BSAM Maharashtra State Senior Snooker & Billiards Championship: Rokade, Vaz advance ahead

Kunal Rokade of Thane showed solid fighting qualities to dash the aspirations of Khar Gymkhana’s Hamehr Mago by pulling off a tense 3-1 win in the best-of-five-frame Senior men’s snooker second-round qualifying match of the BSAM organized Maharashtra State Junior Snooker and Senior Snooker & Billiards Selection (leg 1) Championship – 2019, played at the Bombay Gymkhana billiards room on Tuesday.

The Thane cueist played positively and seized every opportunity to build tidy breaks which helped to overcome Mago in four close frames and to clinch a deserving 59-52, 16-56, 62-48 and 57-34 victory to advance into the third round.

Bombay Gymkhana marker Walter Vaz took optimum advantage of playing in familiar surroundings and went on to put it across Mahesh Tolani of Radio Club by winning in straight frames 3-0 (72-44, 65-53 and 44-13) in another second-round encounter and book his place in the next round.

Meanwhile, Kiran Chheda of Dombivali Gymkhana maintained the winning momentum as he sidelined Prakash Karande of CCI by coasting to a 3-1 (64-36, 16-58, 56-17 and 58-31) win.

Results

Second qualifying round:

Ibrahim Sheikh (KVSC) beat Seleven Samuel (Otters) 3-0 (51-15, 58-48, 56-02);

Walter Vaz (Bombay Gym) beat Mahesh Tolani (Radio Club) 3-0 (72-44, 65-53, 44-13);

Kunal Rokade (Thane) beat Harmehr Mago (Khar Gym) 3-1 (59-52, 16-56, 62-48, 57-34);

Abdur Rehman (Islam Gym) beat Varikash Mehta (Hindu Gym) 3-0 (59-34, 66-58, 54-15);

Karan Chugh (NSCI) beat Parth Salot (Dadar Club) 3-1 (56-25 54-17, 32-45, 65-14);

Rushabh Gohil (ECC) beat Hitesh Kotwani (Hindu Gym) 3-1 (60-27, 80-53, 39-69, 64-47);

Kiran Chheda (Dombivali Gym) beat Prakash Karande (CCI) 3-1 (64-36, 16-58, 56-17, 58-31);

First round:

Kunal Rokade (Thane) beat Anil Sagar (Matoshree Club) 3-1 (54-23, 41-64, 54-14, 47-35);

Harmehr Mago (Khar Gym) beat Nikhil Patel (Thane) 3-2 (49-52, 68-27, 60-21, 22-66, 66-35).