"I didn’t play bad. He simply outclassed me today," said Dhruv after suffering a defeat in the All India Open Invitation billiards championship.
Seven-time world champion stages a comeback to beat Dhruv Sitwala.
MUMBAI: "I didn’t play bad. He simply outclassed me today,” smiled Dhruv Sitwala after suffering a defeat in the All India Open Invitation billiards / snooker championship at the Shivaji Park Gymkhana on Wednesday.
He wasn’t wrong. His opponent on the day, Geet Sethi, was simply too good. An unfinished break of 583 summed up the seven-time world champion’s efforts as he came back to score a comprehensive 690-363 win over Dhruv in a Group B match.
However, it was Dhruv who drew first blood, starting the match on an impressive note and soon holding an upper hand over a surprisingly sedate Geet. His more illustrious opponent was a mere spectator as significant breaks of 249 and 98 ensured Dhruv a comfortably early lead. It looked like a lost cause for the veteran. But then there was a turnaround waiting to happen, akin to a lull before the storm.
And veteran cueist Ashok Shandilya’s experienced eyes were the first to see the change. They may be rivals on the table but as Geet slowly started to assert himself on the green baize, Shandilya observed, “I have known Geet for 22 years now. This will be a break of 300 on a minimum and the maximum limit may well be in excess of 500.” The observation was as perfect as the comeback.
From then on it was vintage Geet Sethi. The 45-year-old was so clinical and calculated that it was now Dhruv’s turn to watch from his seat in utter disbelief, waiting for his turn to come. He didn’t get another opportunity. Geet emerged a comfortable winner, his unfinished break of 583 taking just 15 minutes less than an hour.
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