Ajinkya Yelve and Arun Agrawal, both took the easy routes to the third round by scoring emphatic 3-0 wins in their respective second round matches of the Matunga Gymkhana 9-Red Open Handicap Snooker Tournament 2017, which is sponsored and hosted by Matunga Gymkhana and played at the gymkhana’s billiards hall.
Yelve (+24 handicap) had things under control and after compiling a break of 26 in the first frame went on to defeat M. Srinivas (+39 handicap with the scores reading at 74-47, 76-53 and 74-35.
The experienced Agrawal (+18 handicap) playing his first match after receiving a first round bye warmed up nicely for the tougher challenges ahead by prevailing over Dhaval Kenia in three straight frames. Agrawal did not have to hit the big shots, but with just some steady potting managed to record a 67-56, 80-48 and 67-56 win.
Meanwhile, Ranjeet (+35 handcap) and Amit Jadhav (+29 handicap) were locked in a grim battle for supremacy before the former managed to scrape through by a 3-2 margin. Ranjeet started well by winning the opening frame, but Jadhav fought back by winning the next two to take a 2-1 lead. Ranjeet replied back strongly and went on to pocket the remaining two frames to close out a hard-earned 69-55, 51-77, 60-71, 68-29 and 76-30 vcitory.
In a contest between two players with low handicaps, Sunil Jain (+14 handicap) recovered from the loss of the first game to score a 3-1 win against Kartikey Sharma (+18 handicpa) with the scores at 40-54, 59-46, 58-51, 61-40.
Results – (round 2): Arun Agrawal (+18) bt Dhaval Kenia (+35) 3-0 (67-56, 80-48, 67-56); Rushabh Gohil (+32) bt Prakash Karande (+35) 3-1 (64-77, 75-59, 79-39, 86-58); Kaustubh Pathak (+39) bt Shubham Randhe (+35) 3-1 (81-61, 48-79(29), 100-88, 91(36)-43); Ajinkya Yelve (+24) bt M. Srinivas (+39) 3-0 (74(26)-47, 76-53, 74-35); Swaroop Pillai (+35) bt Dhiraj Kamble (+39) 3-0 (82-64, 84-46, 77-41); C.S. Puranik (+35) bt Jayesh Patel (+39) 3-1 (72-42, 94-69, 51-65, 88-51); Sunil Jain (+14) bt Kartikey Sharma (+18) 3-1 (40-54, 59-46, 58-51, 61-40); Ranjeet (+35) bt Amit Jadhav (+29) 3-2 (69-55, 51-77(25), 60-71, 68-29, 76-30).
Caption of photos attached: Arun Agrawal in action at the Matunga Gymkhana 9-Red Open Handicap Snooker Tournament 2017.