Rupesh, Pankaj, Geet, Devender enter QF

Bangalore, Sep 3 (UNI) Defending champion Rupesh Shah, World Billiards and Snooker champion Pankaj Advani and Indian ace cueist Geet Sethi entered the quarterfinals of the ONGC IBSF World Billiards championship in Points Format being played at the Karnataka State Billiards Association (KSBA) here today.

Devender Joshi, Alok Kumar and Dhruv Sitwala, were the other Indians, who have made it to the quarterfinals. Among foreign players only Praprut Chaithansakun of Thailand and Peter Gilchrist of Singapore made it to the last eight stage by winning their respective matches in the pre-quarter knockout matches.

In the best of seven frame, Rupesh trounced his countrymate B Bhaskar 4-0, while former national champion Geet had an easy 4-0 win over Thailand cueist Suriya Suwannasingh.

The 23-year-old Bangalorean Pankaj, after conceeding the first frame cheaply (17-150), regrouped his concentration to beat Thawat Sujaritthurakarn of Thailand 4-1.

Former Asian champion Devender Joshi, who had beaten defending champion Rupesh in the league, made it to the last eight stage by defeating his countrymate Shyam Jagtiani 4-3. In a keenly contested match that stretched to full seven frames, Joshi conceeded first three frames 79-150, 126-150, 07-150 before bouncing back by regrouping his concentration to win the remaining four frames and the match 150-37, 150-97, 150-32, 151-19.

The England born Singaporean Peter Gilchrist had to sweat it out to show the door to ace Indian cueiest Sourav Kothari 4-2. After conceeding the first two frames 42-150, 129-150, Peter equalled by winning the next two frames 151-105, 152-60. Maintaining his concentration, he took lead by winning the fifth frame 150-20 giving no room for Kothari and won the decider and the match 151-17.

Thailand cueist Praprut showed the door to Brijesh Damani of India 4-2 to take on Devendra Joshi in the quarterfinal in the evening.

Results: (Prequarter finals): Pankaj Advani bt Thawat Sujaritthurakarn (Thailand) 17-150, 150-08, 150-31, 150-10, 150-00; Geet Sethi bt Suriya Suwannasingh (Thailand) 152-21, 153-82, 150-64, 150-58; Alok Kumar bt Prem Prakash 36-151, 34-152, 151-109, 151-72, 150-68, 151-84; Rupesh Shah bt B Bhaskar 150-100, 150-73, 150-149, 151-29; Peter Gilchrist (Singapore) bt Sourav Kothari 42-150, 129-150, 151-105, 152-60, 150-20, 150-41; Praprut Chaithanasakun (Thailand) bt Brijesh Damani 40-153, 151-122, 86-151, 150-74, 152-82, 151-17; Dhruv Sitwala bt Teik Chong Alan Puan (Singapore) 151-135, 151-127, 151-44, 117-150, 151-40.

UNI MSP ROY RKM KN1650