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Hong Moh upsets Sitwala

By V. V. Subrahmanyam

Malaysian Loon Hong Moh is a picture of concentration in his encounter against India's Dhruv Sitwala (in the background) in the 34th World billiards championship in Hyderabad on Wednesday. — Photo: H. Satish

HYDERABAD NOV. 19. Loon Hong Moh of Malaysia created the biggest upset of the day getting the better of fourth-seeded Dhruv Sitwala 150-65, 151-67, 121-151, 68-151, 150-110 even as David Causier of England continued his march towards the knock-out phase with yet another clinical display to record his third straight win in the 34th World billiards championship at Taj Krishna Hotel here on Wednesday.

Loon Hong started off in great style wrapping up the first two frames at 150-65 (breaks of 93 and 47 unfinished on the third and sixth visits), 151-67 (with a break of 61 on the third visit). However, Sitwala fought back to clinch the next two frames 151-121, 151-68 only to lose the decider at 150-110.

The Indian paid the penalty for missing too many simple chances in the decider. There were in all five blank visits and quite a few dismal visits. Sitwala struggled to find the desired rhythm when it mattered most, not able to score even of long hazards. Hong produced the most decisive unfinished 37-point break in the final frame, which put the issue beyond doubt after scoreline read 113-110 in favour of the Malaysian. He finished off the contest in style with a cushion shot from a difficult angle to pocket the red.

The best performance of the day came from the flamboyant David Causier. Causier dished out a lesson in the art of scoring in less than 40 minutes to the Belgian Martin Spoormanns with a 151-46, 150-47, 150-3 victory.

Causier set the tone for the totally one-sided match with a break of 73 in the first frame and then revealed his class with some quality fare in the top of the table game. As Spoormanns remarked later there was very little he could do as his opponent showed he could score from any position.

The break of 98 on the first visit in the second frame was yet another indication that Causier was in no mood to relax. Causier showed amazing speed, precision and great ball control to dictate terms. All that Spoormanns could do was to watch with admiration as the Englishman came up with a stand-out performance in the third frame with an unfinished break of 153 in his first very first visit after the former could pick up just three points on his first visit. That the Belgian even forgot which was the colour of his cue ball once during the match was perhaps an apt reminder of how dominating Causier was today.

Late in the evening, top-seeded Geet Sethi survived a scare of sorts as he over came a sluggish start and a first frame deficit to down a spirited South African Peter Francisco 125-150, 150-147, 151-142, 151-82 to record his second win of the day.

Earlier in the morning, Sethi scored a 150-6, 150-2, 150-26 win over Huang Chul Ho of South Korea in less than 40 minutes with unfinished breaks of 60 and 150 in the first and second frames.

The results: Round-robin league: Geet Sethi (Ind) bt Huang Chul Ho (S. Kor) 150-6, 150-2, 150-26; Praput Chaitansukun (Thai) bt Abdul B. Chowdhary (Ban) 150-40, 150-16, 150-5; Devendra Joshi (Ind) bt Hassan Man Faluti (Ina) 151-76, 152-133, 151-47; Loon Hong Moh (Mal) bt Dhruv Sitwala (Ind) 150-65, 151-67, 121-151, 68-151, 150-110; Nalin Patel (Pro) bt Kim Do Hue (S. Kor) 150-19, 150-30, 151-103; Joe Minici (Aus) bt Yeo Teck Shin Glenn (Sin) 151-126, 75-150, 119-152, 151-81, 151-101; Ashok Shandilya (Ind) bt N.N.G. Samarawickrama (SL) 150-21, 127-150, 150-13, 150-30; Steve Mifsud (Aus) bt Soh Chye Hian (Sin) 152-145, 63-151, 150-35, 152-21; T. Sujarijthurakaran (Thai) bt Eugene Hughes (Ire) 150-78, 0-150, 150-93, 150-130; U. Aung Sanoo (Mym) bt James Moore (Ire) 152-48, 66-150, 153-33, 152-131; Duncan Bezzina (Malta) bt Gary Oliver (NZ) 151-125, 1152-127, 105-153, 144-151, 150-73; Lee Lagan (Eng) bt K.H. Sirisoma (SL) 150-48, 150-30, 150-85; Peter Francisco (SA) bt Alexander Borg (Malta) 150-86, 151-109, 152-79l Wayne Carey (NZ) bt Mark Antony Boyle (Sco) 150-129, 150-41, 32-150, 150-139; Roy Lattimer (N. Ire) bt Tauriq Samsodien (SA) 151-118, 152-148, 150-17; Alok Kumar (Ind) bt Stephen Baille (Sco) 151-32, 151-35, 151-24; U. Kuaw Oo (Mym) bt Mathew Bolton (Aus) 150-131, 151-49, 76-151, 150-68; Rishab Thakkar (Ind) bt B. Bhaskar (Ind) 152-88, 151-83, 82-150, 57-150, 150-132; Robby Foldvari (Aus) bt Mohammed Yousuf (Pak) 152-61, 150-113, 151-0; David Causier (Eng) bt Martin Spoormanns (Bel) 151-46, 150-47, 150-3; Ian Williamson (Eng) bt Siddarth Parikh (Ind) 13-150, 151-45, 152-111, 150-73; Paul Bennet (Eng) bt Khurram Hussain Agha (Pak) 151-58, 151-105, 152-62; Steve Mifsud (Aus) bt K.H. Sirisoma (SL) 151-345, 151-103, 150-141; Devendra Joshi (Ind) bt Mark Anthony Boyle (Sco) 152-17, 152-106, 152-77; Dhruv Sitwala (Ind) bt Tariq Samsodien (SA) 150-29, 152-54, 151-51; Ashok Shandilya (Ind) bt Duncan Bezzina (Malta) 151-7, 150-22, 151-71; Geet Sethi (Ind) bt M. Peter Francisco (SA) 125-150, 150-147, 151-142, 151-82.

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