Sethi off to a winning start

Former world billiards champion Geet Sethi started his campaign in the BPCL-ONGC 9-ball Pool Nationals with a facile victory in the round robin phase at the Bombay Presidency Golf Club in Mumbai, on Sunday.

Sethi, who had lost in the World IBSF Over-40 snooker championship semi-finals at Manama in Bahrain before coming here, warmed up for sterner tests ahead with a 5-3 win over Delhi's Harpreet Singh in Group I.

Top seed defending champion Manan Chandra (Petroleum Sports Promotion Board) and second seed Alok Kumar (PSPB) booked their places in the knockout stage.

Chandra and his Petroleum teammate Alok notched up their second consecutive victories in groups 'A' and 'B' respectively to sail into the second round and were joined by third seed Dharmender Lilly of Punjab and number four K Ranjan of Tamil Nadu.

While Lilly advanced without a fuss from Group 'C', Ranjan was taken the distance by a spirited Puneet Kasat of Maharashtra before pulling off an exciting 5-4 win in Group 'D'.