Kanishk Jhanjhariya qualifies at expense of Joshi

MUMBAI: Four billiards maestros hadcontrasting fortunes on the last day of the league stage in the 75th NationalSenior Snooker Championship being conducted by the MP Billiards and SnookerChampionship at the Yeshwant Club on Wednesday. The last 32 stage was reachedwith Pankaj Advani and Sandeep Gulati the only ones not to drop a singleframe.Local lad Kanishk Jhanjhariya made the last 32 at the expenseof veteran Devendra Joshi whom he beat 3-2 after being 0-2 down. It was thesecond National in a row Joshi didn't qualify. Jhanjhariya, a host associationwild card, who finished No 3 in the state, had made it to the last 16 last yearbefore losing to Rupesh Shah.The 25-year-old MBA student hasn't donemuch at junior level losing in first or second rounds. People remarked about acertain trembling in his handling of the cue and also in the body. But Kanishkkept his nerve at the crucial time when he was just three points ahead and thecolours remained in the decider. Joshi 'sold' the pink courtesy a double-kiss(the balls clashing with each other). The Indore lad got the chance he neededand cleared the colours to make a happy day for the Yeshwant Club where heplays.Another all-rounder like Joshi to fall by the wayside wasAshok Shandilya, the billiards semi-finalist. The 1999 National snooker champlost to Raunaq Vazirani of Gujarat 1-3. "Haven't had enough time to preparebecause of insufficient leave and practice." Raunaq, a former sub-juniorbilliards champ, said.After Joshi and Shandilya a third billiardsmaestro came a cropper the biggest of them all Geet Sethi, who lost toMaharashtra's Nikhil Ootam. But it didn't matter as Geet had won his earlier twoand made it at No 1 from his group along with Ajay Bhushan. On theflip side was the fourth billiards player Dhruv Sitwala who has made the finalsof three major events, the Scottish, Australian and Austrian Opens, and hittingthe highest break. ONGC's Dhruv won his last match against Md Asim of Railways3-0 and topped his group.