Manan, Sanchis qualify for knock-out phase in World Snooker

Manan Chandra and Arantxa Sanchis today entered the knock-out stage of the IBSF World Snooker Championship even as other Indian cueists experienced a mixed day here.
The duo joined Varsha Sanjeev and two-time bronze medallist Vidya Pillai, who had qualified yesterday.
Chandra blanked Spain's Francisco Rodriguez 4-0 in his last league match to top the six-player group with five wins.
Sanchis, though, lost her final league match to China's Chunxia Shi 0-3 but the 23-year-old joined her other countrymates in the knock-out phase after finishing second in her group with five wins.
In her previous outing, Sanchis had beaten The Netherlands' Manon Melief 3-0.

National champion Pillai is still to play her last league match but has qualified with five wins from as many outings to top her Group.

Neena Praveen failed to make the cut even after defeating Jana Mitova of Bulgaria 3-0 for her fourth win in six matches. Neena finished third in her group.
Varshaa also came up triumphant in her league match against Ukraine's Maria Buckaraska, beating her 3-0.
In the masters section (above 40), S A Saleem bowed out of the competition after losing 2-3 to Ian Sergeant from Wales. Nigel Lazar, too, lost to Murat Ayas 1-3.
Results:

Men's: Manan Chandra bt Francisco Rodrigruz (Spain): (4-0) 88-9 80-28 126-0 85-1.
Shahbaaz Adil Khan lost Brenden O'Donoghue (Ireland): (2-4) 72-50 16-68 88-6 56-25 33-61 71-15.
Brijesh Damani lost Roman Dietzel (Germany): (2-4) 70-41, 5-82, 64-69 61-49 69-44 65-31.
Women's: Neena Praveen bt Yana Shut (Belerus): (3-0) 64-47 66-38 58-18.
Arantxa Sanchis lost Chunxia Shi (Hong Kong): (0-3) 49-68 36-74 44-65.
Neena Praveen bt Irina Gorbataya (Russia): (3-1) 55-13 56-43 39-70 81-58.
Masters: Nigel Lazer lost Murat Ayas: (3-1) 75-24 62-48 33-55 60-53.
S A Saleem lost Ian Sergeant (Wales): (3-2) 51-74 27-65 63-62 0-97 0-97.