CCI Snooker: Kothari shocks Mehta to enter final

Sourav Kothari stormed into the final of the Rs 12.25 lakh prize money All India CCI Open Snooker championship by shocking the countrys lone pro circuit player, Aditya Mehta, here today.
The Kolkata-based Kothari was in complete control against the second-seeded Mehta, who seemed out of sorts, and with substantial breaks of 48 (2nd frame), 78 (4th frame) and 45 (6th) frame, coasted to a sensational 5-1 triumph to advance to the final and have a shot at the top prize of Rs two lakh.
Kothari outclassed Mehta by taking the table not long after surviving a five-hour quarter final battle against a fighting Manan Chandra, winning 5-4 to enter the semi finals.

It was a surprisingly one-sided semi final contest, especially considering that the 33-year-old Kothari must have been tired after the long-drawn-out quarter final match against Chandra. He got past Mehta 65-35, 88(48)-40, 26-76, 78(78)-5, 75(42)-23, 58(45)-11.
Earlier, in a protracted battle between two Petroleum Sports Promotion Board cueists, Kolkata-based Kothari, a former Asian billiards champion, prevailed over Chandra 4-31,30-48,89-37,4-77,83-50,50-108,55-56,100-15,79-40.
Two crucial breaks of 59 and 64 in the last two frames helped Kothari wrap up the match after he trailed Bharat Petroleum's Chandra, who had won the 2013 national snooker championship, 3-4 after dropping the seventh frame narrowly by one point.

Later Kothari struck two timely half century breaks worth 59 and 64 to wrap up the last two frames and with that a semi final slot.

The hard-fought quarter final victory not only enabled Kothari (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) to seal the last quarter final spot but also earned him a shot at snooker professional Aditya Mehta of Indian Oil.
Mehta, who survived a scare against veteran Yasin Merchant last evening in the pre quarters, had things well under control when whipping hosts Maharashtras Shabaz Khan 5-1, an excellent break of 94 in the third frame being the highlight of his play.

The other semi final pitted Railways Kamal Chawla, who knocked out cue ace Pankaj Advani in the pre quarters yesterday, against Brijesh Damani of Indian Oil.
While Chawla brushed aside the challenge of Divya Sharma from Haryana 5-1, Damani ousted Sundeep Gulati of Delhi 5-2 in the quarter finals.
Results: Quarter finals: Kamal Chawla (Rlys) bt Divya Sharma (Har) 5-1 (71-31, 56-69, 75-37, 79(58)-6, 87(86)-26, 83-56); Aditya Mehta (IOC) bt Shabaz Khan (Mah) 5-1 (69-8, 77-26, 94(94)-0, 94(68)-2, 39-62, 62-7); Brijesh Damani (IOC) bt Sundeep Gulati (Del) 5-2 (68-57, 52-68, 52-45, 32-51, 68-19, 57(45)-34, 60(46)-16); Sourav Kothari bt Manan Chandra 5-4 (74-31,30-48,89-37,4-77(68),83-50, 50-108, 55-56,100(59)-15,79(64)-40).

Semi finals: Sourav Kothari (PSBP) bt Aditya Mehta (PSPB) 5-1 (65-35, 88(48)-40, 26-76, 78(78)-5, 75(42)-23, 58(45)-11).