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The Amateur Billiard Player : April 1997

Professional Scene

Mark Wildman

WORLD MATCH-PLAY BILLIARDS CHAMPIONSHIP

3rd - 9th MARCH, 1997

NORWICH SPORT VILLAGE HOTEL, HELLESDON, NORWICH

ALL MATCHES BEST OF 7 GAMES, 150 UP
PRELIMINARY ROUND
P. Welham
w/o  I. Malik
scr.  
A Goenka
4  F. Wilson
1  
S. Multani
4  D. Akolkar
0  
S. Armanath
scr.  A. Agrawal
w/o  
C. Shutt
4  A. Potikyan
0  
ROUND 1
G. Sethi
4  M Rehani
2  
S. Naisby
4  E. Hughes
2  
I. Williamson
4  P Welham
0  
M. Ferreira
w/o  D. Sneddon
scr.  
B. Close
4  A. Goenka
2  
N. Patel
4  A. Kumar
3  
R. Chapman
4  J. Murphy
2  
S. Multani
4  D. Causier
3  
R. Foldvari
4  P. Sheehan
0  
C. Everton
w/o  B. Bennett
scr.  
S. Agarwal
4  M. Kothari
1  
A. Shandilya
4  S. Hardcastle
2  
D Joshi
4  A Agarwal
2  
C. Shutt
4  M Wildman
0  
B. Bhaskar
4  R. Williams
3  
P Gilchrist
4  B Dix
0  
ROUND 2
G. Sethi
4  S. Naisby
2  
I. Williamson
4  M Ferreira
3  
N. Patel
4  B. Close
0  
R. Chapman
4  S. Multani
2  
R. Foldvari
4  C. Everton
2  
S. Agarwal
4  A. Shandilya
1  
C. Shutt
4  D. Joshi
2  
P. Gilchrist
4  B. Bhaskar
1  
QUARTER FINALS
G. Sethi
4  I. Williamson
0  
R. Chapman
4  N. Patel
3  
R.Foldvari
4  S. Agarwal
0  
C. Shutt
4  P. Gilchrist
3  
SEMI FINALS
G. Sethi
4  R. Chapman
1  
R. Foldvari
4  C Shutt
3  
FINAL
R. Foldvari
4  G. Sethi
2  

STRACHAN UK BILLIARDS CHAMPIONSHIP

25th FEBRUARY - 22nd MARCH 1997

NORWICH SPORT VILLAGE HOTEL, HELLESDON, NORWICH

MATCHES WERE OF 1 x 2 HOURS DURATION (Preliminary - Round 2)
QUARTER FINALS, SEMI FINALS AND FINAL: 2 x 2 HOURS DURATION

Mike Russell banked another £6000 by successfully defending his UK title and easily beating surprise package Sonic Multani in the final.

The match of the first round was Chapman's win over"sure to be there one day" Chris Shutt. Chapman won by 140 points but surprises always attract attention, so what about Subash Agarwal losing to Steve Naisby, Kumar beating Sethi and Reham's victory over Joshi?

More upsets followed, Close going out to Hughes and Williamson then Gilchrist to Multani.

At the semi-final stage, the bottom half was bound to produce a non-seeded player in the final - from Kumar and Multani. In the top half, Russell had to get past Chapman, which he did quite easily.

Russell was looking an odds-on bet against Multani and was out of sight and uncatchable by the end of the final session.

Some great upsets - too often in short supply at billiards - but in the end a Russell one-man show.

PRELIMINARY ROUND
C. Shutt
927  A. Goenka
326  
D. Akolkar
365  A. Potikyan
318  
S. Multani
768  B. Dix
260  
S. Armamath
scr.  P. Sheehan
w/o  
ROUND 1
M. Russell
1,334  D. Sneddon
244  
S. Hardcastle
450  M. Wildman
413  
B. Close
719  A. Agarwal
319  
E. Hughes
575  J. Murphy
482  
R. Chapman
595  C. Shutt
455  
A. Shandilya
scr.  M. Spoormans
w/o  
R. Foldvari
695  D. Akolkar
138  
D. Causier
w/o  I. Malik
scr.  
P. Gilchrist
1,025  B. Bhaskar
369  
S. Multani
732  M. Ferreira
473  
I. Williamson
509  P. Sheehan
271  
M Rehani
728  D. Joshi
505  
S. Naisby
505  S. Agarwal
461  
M. Kothari
621  N. Patel
498  
C. Everton
304  B. Bennett
110  
A. Kumar
605  G. Sethi
423  
ROUND 2
M. Russell
842  S. Hardcastle
442  
E. Hughes
513  B. Close
413  
R. Chapman
731  M. Spoormans
276  
I. Williamson
500  M. Rehani
266  
S. Naisby
731  M. Kothari
378  
A. Kumar
446  C. Everton
337  
QUARTER FINALS
M. Russell
2,185  E. Hughes
623  
R. Chapman
1,164  D. Causier
1,084  
S. Multani
748  I. Williamson
672  
A. Kumar
1,177  S. Naisby
922  
SEMI FINALS
M. Russell
1,573  R. Chapman
1,035  
S. Multani
1,088  A Kumar
862  
FINAL
M. Russell
2,476  S. Multani
580  
ENTRANTS COUNTRIES

Shutt, Dix, Sheehan, Russell, Wildman, Hardcastle, Close, Murphy, Chapman, Causier, Gilchrist, Williamson, Naisby, Everton, Bennett - ENGLAND

Goenka, Multani, Armamath, A. Agarwal. S. Agarwal, Shandilya, Akolkar, Malik, Bhaskar, Ferreira, Joshi, Rehani, Patel, Kothari, Sethi, Kumar - INDIA

Potikyan - RUSSIA

Sneddon - SCOTLAND

Hughes - IRELAND

Spoormans - BELGIUM

Foldvari - AUSTRALIA

CHIEF BREAKMAKERS

Russell - 526, 494, 456, 450, 428, 364, 319, 6 x 200, 11 x 100

Multani - 437, 239, 4 x 100

Kumar - 8 x 100

Naisby - 237, 4 x 100

Shutt - 292, 2 x 100

Williamson - 263, 100

Chapman - 314, 268, 275, 254, 207, 6 x 100