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Pune’s former national champion wins maiden Maharashtra state snooker title
Arora impelled himself into an early 4-0 lead in the best of thirteen frames final to stamp his authority on the game
Pune’s Shivam Arora got the better of Mumbai’s Manav Panchal in the final of the Billiards and Snooker Association of Maharashtra (BSAM) 6 Red snooker state selection tournament 2019, to win his first ever Maharashtra state title, at the Poona Club Billiards Room on Wednesday. Arora impelled himself into an early 4-0 lead in the best of thirteen frames final to stamp his authority on the game. Second seed Panchal, who is also BSAM secretary, came very close to making a comeback in the ninth frame, but Arora did not let his guard down to finish the game in eleven frames after winning 7-4.
Tournament’s sixth seed, Arora, took charge of the game in the initial frames to place himself in a comfortable position. His strategy to play simple and safe strokes worked well in the first frame. His opponent also followed the same approach, but lost the first frame by a just two points. Potting majority of the reds in the second frame, Arora continued his good form. The 33-year-old, who likes playing the thin cut, managed to pot numerous balls with simple stun shots. Panchal could pot four balls in the second frame as Arora cleared the baize, notching 51 points, capitalising on the crucial misses made by his opponent.
The former world number three increased his tally in the following frame as Panchal failed to pot a single ball. Arora marched around the table unperturbed, and potted almost every ball and won the frame with 65 points. The game was still a few frames away from the halfway point, but Panchal was being left in the shadow of the former national champion.
Panchal, who was representing the Malabar Hill Club (MHC), got off to a decent start in the fourth frame, but yet again missed out on a simple stroke to bring Arora back in play. The sixth seed was in top form, committed few errors and pounced on every opportunity he got. In the fourth frame, Arora overtook his opponent and won the frame 39-17, earning an impressive 4-0 lead in the final.
Arora, who plays at the Corner Pocket snooker academy in Pune, let his guard down for the first time in the fifth frame. A lucky break from Panchal denied Arora a clean sweep, which would have been humiliating for the second seed of the tournament. Arora managed to earn 22 points, while Panchal, for the first time in the game, ended the frame with 33 points, to finally get off the mark.
The momentum continued in the following frame as Panchal got off to a good start again. Arora missed a few chances which fell to him, which was surprising considering the form he was in. This time, it was Panchal who capitalised on the misses and cleared the table with 38 points to his name, 16 points more than Arora, in the sixth frame, as the Mumbai snooker player was aiming for a dramatic comeback.
The tournament saw plenty of dramatic comebacks, and it seemed like there was going to be another in the final, but Arora recovered just in time to kill the momentum that Panchal build after two consecutive frame victories. Panchal notched 18 points off the seventh frame, but Arora was splendid around the table. Playing the reverse and side-spin shots to perfection, Arora ended the seventh frame with a convincing 48-18 win, re-establishing a three-frame cushion.
The deficit, however, did not remain the same for a long time as Panchal bounced back in the eighth frame. Eagerly wanting to make a comeback and restore parity in the game, Panchal played some simple yet beautiful strokes to outclass his opponent. While Arora managed to earn 28 points from the frame, he was still way behind Panchal, who pocketed 42 points to lessen the former national champion’s lead at the end of the eighth frame.
Arora’s advantage was cut down to one frame at the end of the ninth frame as Panchal pounced on the opportunities that fell to him. The composed second seed calmly potted numerous balls and did not commit the mistakes he made in the initial frames. Relying on simple shots and steering clear of the tricky ones, Panchal propelled himself into the lead. Arora tried catching up, but in the end, he was left seven points short as Panchal looked stronger at the end of the ninth frame.
Just when it seemed like the game would go on till the thirteenth and deciding frame, Arora bounced back in the tenth frame. Both players missed a few easy chances, but Arora kept his cool, walking around the table, and looking at every possible shot he could play. Arora slotted numerous balls into the pocket, and eclipsed his opponent by 26 points in the tenth frame.
The game entered the eleventh frame, which was a do-or-die for Panchal. The pressure of making a comeback got the better of the second seed, as he could only manage to pot one ball and earned just four points from the frame, while Arora became the opportunist after seeing Panchal fluff his lines. The sixth seed slowed himself down a little as he realised he could not afford to slip up. He calmly slotted the balls home and earned a stirring 41-04 win in the eleventh frame to win the game and the final of the tournament.
Arora has his eyes set on the next tournament which will be a 15 Red snooker tournament at the PYC Gymkhana at the end of this month. The former world number three is eager to win and be a part of the Indian contingent again.
“I was playing really well in the beginning. Surprisingly, a 4-0 lead was very easy. I did not miss a single ball whenever I came to the table. It was a one-sided game till the midway point of the match. Manav [Panchal] upped his game after the fourth frame and made two great pots and then the following two frames he out-potted me. That is when I told myself that I need to play better and not get lackadaisical with my strokes. He raised the level of the game, and it was a very difficult game. The scoreline [7-4] seems easy, but it was not that easy.
“I am very happy to win my first Maharashtra state title. Earlier, I used to represent Bihar because I spent my childhood there. Since the last five years, I have been playing for Maharashtra, but I have only played in two state championships, including this one. The last time I played a state championship in Maharashtra was in 2015, after which I was on sabbatical, said Shivam Arora, winner, BSAM snooker state selection tournament.
“The first game was very crucial. After the first frame, he [Shivam Arora] just raced away. I almost caught him in towards the tenth frame. If it would have been 5-5, then the game would have been interesting, but the tenth frame was the turning point of the game. He played very confidently. The 6 Red format is for opportunists and he made the most of it,” said Manav Panchal, runner-up, BSAM snooker state selection tournament.
Top 10 players from the tournament qualify for national tournament
Pune’s top seed Tahaa Khan is one of four Pune snooker players who qualified for the next national snooker tournament which will take place next year. Khan is followed by tournament winner Shivam Arora, and quarter-finalists Abhishek Bora and Madhav Joshi. Players from Mumbai like Manav Panchal, top-seed Hasan Badami, and quarter finalists Shahbaz Khan and Sanket Mutha have also earned the National qualification.
The remaining two spots will be given to two players by the Billiards and Snooker Association of Maharashtra (BSAM) in the form of wild cards. The association is yet to pick the players, but an announcement is expected soon.
Result
Final (best of 13 frames)
6-Shivam Arora (Pune) bt 2-Manav Panchal (Mumbai) 7-4 (35-33, 51-11, 65-00, 39-17, 22-33, 22-38, 48-18, 28-42, 23-30, 36-10, 41-04)
