Defending champion Pankaj Advani opened his campaign in style, winning both his group matches, but eight-time winner Geet Sethi suffered one of the worst starts in his career, losing back-to-back league matches on the opening day of the IBSF World Billiards Championship in Pune on Friday.
Advani made short work of Billy Bousfield of England 3-1 (150-70, 151-61, 37-150, 151-10) and then blanked Chul Ho Hwang of Korea in straight frames (151-31, 150-125, 150-60) to virtually seal a pre-quarter-final berth in of the Points Format of the prestigious event, at the PYC Hindu Gymkhana.
The biggest draw of the championship was, however, the first round clash between Geet Sethi and nine-time champion Mike Russell of England and it turned out to be a shocker for the 49-year-old Indian.
Sethi seemed too rusty as he struggled to get the roll of the green baize and lost in straight frames to his long-time nemesis.
The 41-year-old Englishman played as if he was in a hurry and raced to a 150-49, 151-9, 150-58 win in less than 90 minutes.
Russell went on to win his second league match, beating Min Hu Baek of Korea 150-89, 152-29, 150-8.
Sethi then slumped to another defeat, this time against Myanmar's Nay Thway Oo to diminish his qualification chances further.
Sethi now has three more league matches left and unless he wins them all, it will be difficult for him to progress.
Among other Indians in the fray, Dhruv Sitwala, Rupesh Shah, Ashok Shandilya and Alok Kumar made sound starts to their campaigns by winning their opening two matches.
Results:
Aidan Murray (Irl) beat Min Hu Baek (Kor) 3-0 (152-58, 151-32, 151-100); Rupesh Shah (Ind) beat Nay Thway Oo (Mya) 3-0 (150-137, 152-136, 150-76); Mike Russell (Eng) beat Geet Sethi (Ind) 3-0 (150-49, 151-9, 150-58); Ashok Shandilya (Ind) beat Gary Oliver (Nzl) 3-1 (152-134, 150-103, 78-151, 150-68); Peter Gilchrist (Sin) beat Kyaw Oo (Mya) 3-1 (150-137, 150-0, 0-152, 150-54); Dhruv Sitwala (Ind) beat Tae Hoon Jung (Kor) 3-0 (151-48, 150-5, 150-117); Phil Mumford beat Sourav Kothari 3-1 (150-51, 151-80, 92-151, 150-98).
Thawat Sujaritthurakarn (Ind) beat Devendra Joshi (Ind) 3-0 (150-43, 151-100, 151-147); Bhaskar Balachandra (Ind) beat Chul Ho Hwang (Kor) 3-0 (151-14, 151-36, 151-67); Alok Kumar beat Abdul Omar 3-1 (150-75, 151-87, 147-150, 150-30); Pankaj Advani (Ind) beat Billy Bousfield (Eng) 3-1 (150-70, 151-61, 37-150, 151-10); Rupesh Shah (Ind) beat Aidan Murray (Irl) 3-0 (151-87, 150-73, 151-42); Nay Thway Oo (Mya) beat Geet Sethi (Ind) 3-0 (152-114, 150-15, 150-0); Mike Russell (Eng) beat Min Hu Baek (Kor) 3-0 (150-89, 152-29, 150-8).
Praprut Chaithanasakun (Tha) beat Gary Oliver (Nzl) 3-0 (150-2, 150-36, 152-10); Ashok Shandilya (Ind) beat Sourav Kothari (Ind) 3-1 (150-10, 152-12, 55-151, 150-2); Dhruv Sitwala (Ind) beat Peter Gilchrist (Sin) 3-0 (150-26, 150-90, 151-27); Thawat Sujaritthurakarn (Tha) beat Tae Hoon Jung (Kor) 3-0 (150-38, 151-21, 151-15); Alok Kumar (Ind) beat Billy Bousfield (Eng) 3-1 (151-149, 47-151, 152-134, 151-0); Pankaj Advani (Ind) beat Chul Ho Hwang (Kor) 3-0 (151-31, 150-125, 150-60.
