Radiant Grand Slam
Qualifying matches for the second and third legs of the second series of the Radiant Grand Slam were played after the U.K, still at the Radion Plaza, and from the 31st of January to the 3rd of February. Most followers of the game will know by now that the third leg of the first series and the first leg of the second series, both scheduled for India late last year, were, for various reasons, postponed. There are thus, at the time of writing, four Grand Slam Championships due to be played in India sometime during the year, the first of these should be played towards the end of March but recent events in India give rise to speculation that there may be further cancellations. It is assumed that these tournaments will eventually be played; as the World Championship is also scheduled for India, then the top players will be thinking in terms of Air India season tickets. However, with the blossoming of the talents of the new Indian professionals, and the avowed intention of Michael Ferreira to make a comeback, it may well be that very few home-based professionals need worry themselves about the jabs. But after all, if the money is in India then that is where billiards professionals will have to be prepared to go.
Radiant, Series 2: Second Leg: Qualifying Results
First Round
Fred Davis O.B.E., and Clive Everton both withdrew giving David Edwards and Steve Hardcastle a free visit to round 2. There were no surprises. Michael Ferreira showed much improved form
1) 150 (87, 57unf) - 51. 2) 150 (59) - 61. 3) 150 (65) - 20 4) 150 (99) -67.
1) 150 (86) - 51. 2) 150 - 134. 3) 114 - 150. 4) 150 (118) - 54. 5) 150 (54) - 60
M. Ferreira
| 4 | |
H. Griffiths
| 0 | |
1) 150 (53) - 77. 2) 150 - 112. 3) 150 (53) - 115. 4) 150 (60,54unf)-0
D. Edwards
| w/o | |
F. Davis
| scr | |
Agarwal
| 4 | |
D. Barton
| 0 | |
1) 150 (56) - 73. 21 150 (80) - 27. 3) 150 (117) - 18. 4) 150 (54)- 104 (52)
1) 150 - 126. 2) 26 - 150. 3) 150 (77) - 122. 4) 56 - 150. 5) 150 (89) -34. 6) 150 (94unf) - 49
Hardcastle
| w/o | |
C. Everton
| scr | |
M. Wildman
| 4 | |
J. Caven
| 1 | |
1) 150 (59) - 141. 2) 150 (88) -111. 3) 150 (72) - 37.
4) 92 - 150. 5) 150 (148) - 0
1) 150-91. 2) 150 (68)- 136. 3) 150 (120) - 5. 4) 150 (76) - 80
Second Round
All of the seeded players went through but not without some anxious moments. Michael Ferreira, in play and needing only half-a-dozen for a 4 - 2 win made a hash of an easy cannon and was then taken to the
limit by Devendra Joshi. Joshi showed good form and will be a force to reckoned with. Peter Gilchrist left it late against Subhash Agarwal as did Mike Russell against Manoj Kothari
1) 150 (78, 66) - 92 (57) 2) 150 (56) - 83. 3) 150 (89,59) - 54 4) 150 - 78
1) 150 - 26. 2) 93 (770 - 150 (57, 56) 3) 150 (64unf) - 136 (75) 4) 19 - 150 (124unf) 5) 150 (95) - 113 (85) 6) 147 (54) - 150. 7) 150 (560 - 82
1) 150 (118unf) -104 (53) 2) 150 (76) -114 (96) 3) 74 (70) - 150. 4) 150 (144unf0 - 0 5) 150 (114unf) - 86 (59)
P. Gilchrist
| 4 | |
S. Agarwal
| 3 | |
1) 91 (65) -150 (122) 2) 150 (111unf) -92. 3) 0-150 (150unf) 4) 150 (87) - 7. 5) 150 (100) - 62. 6) 14 - 150) 94) 7) 150 (125) -3
R. Foldvari
| 4 | |
R. Chapman
| 0 | |
1) 150 (68) - 122 (76) 2) 150 (79, 56) - 39. 3) 150 (58. 50) - 39
4) 150 (120) - 9.
I. Williamson
| 4 | |
S. Hardcastle
| 1 | |
1) 150 (58) - 66. 2) 150 - 60. 3) 150 (76) - 23. 4) 119 (52) - 150 (55)
5) 150 (56) - 97
1) 126 - 150 (71unf) 2) 150 (98unf) - 120 (105) 3) 150 (148unf) - 94 (67) 4) 150 (61) - 71 (71) 5) 150 (105) - 100 (71)
M. Russell
| 4 | |
M. Kothari
| 3 | |
1) 150 (134unf) - 7. 2) 25 - 150 (97) 3) 90 - 150 (132)
4) 150 (150unf) - 2 5) 150 (59) - 68. 6) 15 - 150 (52,62) 7) 150 (73) - 65
Radiant Series 2: Third Leg: Qualifying Results
First Round
Fred Davis O.B.E. once again withdrew this time to the benefit of Nalin Patel. Whilst it is always a pleasure to see Davis play, the question has to be asked as to whether the veteran ex-champion ought to enter if he is not reasonably sure of turning up. David Barton of Liverpool put up a great show against the far more experienced Clive Everton and nearly pulled it off. Rex Williams had clearly adopted a different approach and Howard Griffiths did well to win two games. Kothari very nearly beat Bob Close underlining the strength of the Indian professional game, though Joshi faded somewhat against John Murphy. David Rees had another disappointing match but John Caven must be congratulated on his first professional victory.
1) 150 (75) - 39. 2) 150 (103) - 30. 3) 150 (85) - 86.
4) 150 (95unf) - 89.
1) 125 (83) - 150. 2) 52 - 150 (95) 3) 150 (97) - 67. 4) 150 (55) - 46.
5) 150 (69) - 110 (56) 6) 61 - 150 (122unf) 7) 150 (85) - 2
R. Chapman
| 4 | |
D. Edwards
| 1 | |
1) 150 (87) - 43. 2) 150 (126) - 42. 3) 0 - 150 (80, 70) 4) 150 (88) - 92 (85) 5) 150 (98, 52) - 53
1) 150 (88) - 83. 2) 123 -150. 3) 150 (50) - 123. 4) 150 (74) - 73. 5) 150-108
1) 150 (96) - 95. 2) 150 (88) - 62. 3) 5 - 150(65, 52unf) 4) 150 (99) - 71. 5) 150 (145unf) - 21
R. Williams
| 4 | |
H. Griffiths
| 2 | |
1) 102 - 150. 2) 120 (85) - 150 (69) 3) 150 (141unf) - 24. 4) 150 (93) - 102. 5) 150 (110unf) - 6 6) 150 (77) - 74
1) 150 (620 - 84 (51) 2) 75 - 150 (102) 3) 150 (92) - 131. 4) 69-150. 5) 150 (54) - 56. 6) 5-150 (66) 7) 150-80
M. Ferreira
| 4 | |
S. Hardcastle
| 0 | |
1) 150 (64, 84unf) - 45. 2) 150 (92) - 40. 3) 150 - 45. 4) 150 (144unf) - 13
1) 150 - 77. 2) 2150 (116) - 64. 3) 103 (70) - 150 (90) 4) 150 (83unf) - 19. 5) 150 (50) - 124
N. Patel
| w/o | |
F. Davis
| scr | |
Second Round
John Murphy played Geet Sethi for the third time in the space of a few days, the Hartlepool player has been unfortunate in the way the seeding has worked. The round produced no great surprises - apart from the defeat of Foldvari - and one outstanding and exciting match. Norman Dagley was within three points of a 4 - 0 victory over Roxton Chapman and could easily have potted the white and then the red. The ex-world champion apparently miss-read the Scoreboard and played a more difficult positional stroke - and missed! Chapman seized his opportunity and ran to game with a fine 103 unfinished. The young Peterborough player took the next with a 94 unfinished, the 6th with a 106, but had little chance in the decider as Dagley settled the matter with a cool 123.
The shock result was that in which Subhash Agarwal beat Robby Foldvari by 4 games to nil. Foldvari, in attempting to compete in the Radiant in Sheffield and the Strachan Challenge snooker in Aldershot - at the same time - found himself stranded on the Ml at 4 o'clock in the morning. It was hardly the best preparation for billiards against a player of Agarwal's ability and the Australian paid the penalty. This match further emphasised the depth of the Indian game and, incidentally, that even Foldvari can play billiards (at times) just as badly as the rest of us.
Rex Williams showed how quickly he has come to terms with the short game with a great win over Bob Close after being 2 - 0 down. Williams played classical billiards - with a touch of steel.
1) 121 (77) -150 (121) 2) 150 (59, 53unf) -31. 3) 54-150. 4) 150 (60) - 107. 5) 150 (110unf) - 60. 6) 150 (88unf) - 53
I. Williamson
| 4 | |
C. Everton
| 0 | |
1) 150 (86) - 78. 2) 150 (102) - 94. 3) 150 (62. 88) - 63 (63) 4) 150 (88, 51unf) - 73
1) 150 - 38. 2) 150 (144) - 87 (70) 3) 150 (98) - 34. 4) 147 - 150 (103unf) 5) 58 - 150 (94unf) 6) 29 - 150 (106) 7) 150 (123) -2
P. Gilchrist
| 4 | |
J. Caven
| 0 | |
1) 150 (59,86) -61. 2) 150 (81unf) - 14. 3) 150 (97) - 9. 4) 150 (119) - 36
1) 150 (90unf) - 49. 2) 150 (90) - 14. 3) 150 (92) - 9 4) 150 (119unf)- 36
1) 0 - 150 (117unf) 2) 124 (93)- 150 (102) 3) 150 (117) - 71. 4) 150 (71) - 55. 5) 150 (140) - 73. 6) 9 - 150 (95) 7) 150 (92) - 7
M. Ferreira
| 4 | |
M. Wildman
| 2 | |
1) 150 -124. 2) 150 (69, 79unf) - 106 (74) 3) 150 (103) - 27. 4) 145 - 150. 5) 50 - 150 (93) 6) 150 (56) - 53
1) 150 (57) - 116. 2) 150 (95) - 60. 3) 150 (81, 59) - 48. 4) 150 (150unf)- 11.
Rex Williams received a mauling at the hands of peter Gilchrist but wasted little further time in adjusting - as Bob Close will testify. All enthusiasts will hope that Williams continues in the game, he will be a force to be reckoned with. In mentioning forces to be reckoned with, the name of Michael Ferreira comes to mind. Ferreira said, "I am sick and tired of being humiliated," and he went on to avow his intention of recapturing his old form - or dying in the attempt. If he is successful then there will be a considerable cat appearing amongst the pigeons. BQR must praise tournament organiser John Williams. The tournament ran without a hitch despite one or two very long matches. The refereeing was of a high standard
The World Championship preliminaries are expected to be held at the Radion Plaza later in the year, possibly lime. Enthusiasts will already be looking forward to seeing the players in action again.
So ended an enjoyable week's billiards festival. One of the most obvious features was the tens the way in which players' form improved as the days went by. However, working up to peak performance is of little use if your first game happens to be against one of the top seeds. It is quite certain that, come the world championship prelims this lack of competitive practice will again be in evidence in all but the top men. The baulk-line rule provided some interesting moments but those players who are capable of running to game in one visit have worked out their own various ways of overcoming the problem and seem to have little difficulty.
John Murphy could count himself unlucky to have come up against Sethi in all three competitions. Murphy is a very good player but had little chance of getting past the world champion. Murphy claims that if the Moscow Radiant had not been postponed then he would have gained a ranking point - and had a different draw. There has to be a seeding system and presumably there will always be someone who gets a bad draw.
Rex Williams - Comeback man.