Andheri Recreation Club team ARC ‘Cheetahs’ and Otters Club side Otters ‘Rockets’, both scored identical hard-fought 3-2 wins to set up a clash in the semi-final round of the Otters Club BSAM Mumbai Z3-Snooker League 2018, at Otters Club Billiards Room.
ARC Cheetahs quelled the spirited fight back from Radio Club’s outfit Radio ‘Fusion’ in a tense quarter-final encounter. On the side table, hosts and defending champions Otters Club ‘Rockets’ beat back the challenge from Bombay Gymkhana’s BG Phantoms in another quarter-final contest which witnessed a battle for supremacy.
The Andheri side got off to flying start and raced to a 2-0 lead as their doubles combination of Tarun Kalra and Akshay Vasani (+33 handicap) defeated the Radio Club team of Anuj Mahajan and Neville Razmi 72-49 in the 9-red doubles, first frame. Later, ARC skipper Karan Anand (+20) increased the lead when he recovered to pull off a narrow win against Rayaan Razmi (+25) by a close 84-80 scoreline in the 15-red singles, second frame.
Radio Club’s 13-year-old Shahyan Razmi halted the Cheetahs charge to victory. As usual Shahyan (+35) potted freely and with a neat run of 26 sidelined Om Sawant (+40) by a comfortable 108-55 margin in the third frame. Later, Shahyan’s elder brother Rayaan (+25) brought Radio Club back into the match by pocketing the fourth frame. Rayaan constructed a brilliant 33 effort to overcome Karan Anand 83-70 and level the match scores and force the decider.
Shahyan (+35) returned to play the fifth frame against Akshay Vasani (+55), but he was not his usual self and Vasani capitalised on every opportunity to build small tidy breaks and swell his lead and take the match away and seal Cheetahs victory.
Meanwhile, Rishabh Thakkar played a key role in Otters Club success. With skipper Zenul Arsiwala, he won the doubles frame and then clinched the fifth frame against Nitesh Madan to win for Otters ‘Rockets’ and take them a step closer towards the defense of their title.
