The Gold Flake Grand Slam

Second Series - Second Leg: KSBA Hall, Bangalore, Dec. l9th - 21st

Triumph for Williamson

Russell Routed and Sethi Slammed

The final stages of this tournament were held in India just before Christmas and resulted in a major upset as Leeds Professional Ian Williamson destroyed the opposition to take his first professional title since winning the UK. in 1988. Williamson is a very good player, of that there is no doubt, but he has not seemed in his best form recently and such is the domination of the game by Sethi, Russell, and Foldvari, that he was not expected to get through his first match. Dagley, as he did in the recent world championship, gave Russell a fright. Ferreira took the first game in his match with Sethi but was well beaten. Peter Gilchrist went to the semi-final without striking a ball in anger as Bob Close. Russell could not have expected to lose four games on the trot in his semi, and no-one would have forecast Williamson taking a 4 -0 lead over Sethi in the final.

Ian Williamson v Robby Foldvari

Neither of these two are noted for the speed at which they play the game, though both have been known to score rapidly when the occasion demanded. Games of 150 up do not make any particular demands on a player's ability to score quickly and, not surprisingly, the 7 games took a little over 5 hours. Foldvari led 3 - 1 and looked to have the match under control, but the Australian Steamroller must have been more than a little frustrated as breaks of 92 and 56 in the fifth, 52 and 92* in the sixth, and 86* in the seventh, saw Williamson the winner

Mike Russell v Norman Dagley

Russell started like a house on fire with breaks of 149, 132, and 128 to take a 3 -1 lead. A 150 and a 92 saw the Earl Shilton man level at 3 - 3. Russell started the decider with a 116 but let Dagley in, the older player breaking down at 60 when he looked as if he might run to game. Russell then made no mistake to clinch his place in the semis.

Geet Sethi v Michael Ferreira

This match was rather unusual in that there was not a single century break. It could well be the first time that Geet Sethi has played a match of 150s and not made a century. He did, however, have several runs in the 70s and 80s in quick time to get comfortably past Ferreira after the older player had won the first game.

Peter Gilchrist w/o v Bob Close (Withdrew)

Geet Sethi v Peter Gilchrist

In the first four games Sethi had unfinished breaks of 63, 150, 93, and 153. It is hardly surprising that he took a 4 - 0 lead. Gilchrist does not give up easily and came back in the fifth with a 146* and started with a 60 in the sixth. Unfortunately - for him - when he broke down he presented Sethi with a nice opening from which the Indian took the game and the match with a 143* The 150 format is all about extracting every possible point out of every half-chance because it could be the last chance. With Geet Sethi as the opponent it very often is the last chance.

Ian Williamson v Mike Russell

Russell took a 2 - 1 lead but then had to suffer as Williamson ground out four games on the trot to book his place in the final. This is believed to be the first time that the Leeds man has beaten the Mighty Mike.

Ian Williamson cannot have rated his chances particularly high especially as he has not seemed to play quite so well recently as he was doing a couple of years ago, but anyone who has watched the Leeds professional will know that he is not one to give in easily. Two factors came into the reckoning to even things up. One was that Sethi's game was not quite up to par, and the second was that the Indian, who has respiratory problems, suffered an attack of asthma. Doubtless the two factors are related. It is reported that Sethi missed shots that he could normally have scored left-handed. Most players would reckon they had done pretty well to have beaten Sethi even if the Indian had two broken arms. Asthma or no asthma, Williamson deserves full marks for a remarkable victory.

Sethi scored breaks of 50 and 69 in the first and a 77 in the second only to see Williamson painstakingly put together runs of 80, 54* and 93* to take a 2 - 0 lead. Sensing that he was going to have more of a chance than he might have thought, the Yorkshireman stuck grimly to his task. An unfinished 87 in third and a fine 150 in the fourth saw him at 4 - 0. Sethi managed a 94 to take the fifth, and a 132 saw him win the seventh. Williamson seemed nervous towards the end but held himself together to record a memorable 7 - 2 victory.

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