Brijesh Damani in final
India’s Brijesh Damani beat compatriot Vijay Nichani 4-2 to reach the final of the World Masters Snooker Championship in Bahrain, where he will face Pakistan’s reigning champion Muhammad Asif
Hyderabad: Seasoned cueist Brijesh Damani overcame fellow Indian Vijay Nichani 4-2 to set up a gold medal clash with Pakistan’s Muhammad Asif at the ongoing World Masters and U-21 Snooker Championships in Manama, Bahrain, on Friday.
Looking down the barrel for much of the match, the gritty Damani dug deep to edge out Nichani, who dominated the early exchanges in the best-of-seven semifinal.
Nichani led 2-1 with breaks of 79 and 51 in the second and third frames, but errors began to creep in. Damani capitalised on his opponent’s mistakes to turn the tide and storm into the final.
In the other semifinal, India’s Manan Chandra started strong but lost momentum, allowing reigning IBSF World Snooker Champion Muhammad Asif to run away with the match (4-2).
Meanwhile, three-time world champion Pankaj Advani will lead a large Indian contingent at the World 6-Red Snooker Championship, beginning Saturday.
Advani, who earned a wildcard — along with Damani and Aditya Mehta — following India’s Asian Team Snooker triumph last month in Colombo, is keen to carry his form into the world event.
“I feel really good about my game right now,” said Advani. “My snooker has been better than my billiards, not just in results but also in terms of break-building and consistency. I’m very happy with where my snooker game is.”
Speaking about the format, Advani added: “In 6-reds, anything can happen. It’s like a 10-over match — a couple of moments can change everything. No one is a favourite.”
Kamal Chawla, the reigning champion, has shown flashes of brilliance this season. However, he was knocked out in the Masters pre-quarterfinals by Manan Chandra. He’ll aim to bounce back in the 6-reds event, which features 60 players, including nine other Indians.
Results
Masters (Semifinals):
Brijesh Damani (Ind) bt Vijay Nichani (Ind) 4-2 (81-21, 0-83 (79), 6-76 (51), 64 (40)-33, 67-55, 65-43)
Muhammad Asif (Pak) bt Manan Chandra (Ind) 4-2 (118 (67)-6, 0-84 (72), 25-76 (46), 97 (92)-11, 87-62, 72-41)
