Selvaraj beaten in tactical battle
By a Staff reporter
Former champion Chandra Hirjee struck his best form on Friday Night at the Great Eastern Hotel where he defeated Mysore T. A. Selvaraj by four frames to one to reach the semi-final round of the National Snooker Championship. The Scores were : 85-37, 93-15, 88-22, 32-75, 80-24.
It was a case of Selvaraj playing only as well as he was allowed to for Hirjee look a firm grip on the proceeding from the start and ran up a comfortable three frame lead. Great fighter that he is Selvaraj deservedly won the fourth frame but though he fought gallantly in the fifth there was little he could do to stop Hirjee.
It is one matter in Snooker to send the ball down the pockets but quite another to know where the cue ball will come to rest and here I think I have hit the ball on the head in summing up the difference between the two players on the night’s performance. Hirjee found his own positions whereas Selvaraj could not.
True to the tradition of the game each player aid traps for the other particularly in critical situation . When a snooker was necessary in order to make up leeway. But here both cueman rose to noble heights in extricating themselves from awkward situations by applying just that amount of “Side to make the Cue ball take a devious root and strikes its intended object.
What a brilliant start Hirjee made. Trailing two points to six with the pyramid hardly disturb he chalked up a nice break of 39 consisting of 6 reds one blue and four blacks .Despite again fight by Selvaraj the Mysore player found himself heavily in arrears by the time the pink ball has been sunk.
Hirjee hardly gave Selvaraj a chance in the second frame. He was well ahead by the time it was half – way through but after potting the last red he sent the brown down and cleared the table to complete the frame with a break of 32.
Selvaraj was just about beginning to settle down in the third frame with the score 10 – 8 in his favour, but Hirjee came up with a sparkling break of 22 and got well ahead when the reds has gone Selvaraj was in arrears again and fell deeper into perplexity by striking the pink on being snooked on the green.. With Hirjee potting the green and the brown he led 17 – 17 and then gave away five by going in – of the blue.
But that was as far as Selvaraj went for Hirjee finished the frame by potting the blue and the pink.
Selvaraj looked more re – assured when he took a quick lead in the fourth frame and when Hirjee missed an easy pot with the rest Selvaraj cashed into run up a lead of 33 -15.
Hirjee then began to fight back. He double the blue magnificently into one of the middle pockets and was still in with a chance despite the fact that Selvaraj led 53 – 23. Hirjee got out of several fight corners but the faith of the frame was sealed when Selvaraj doubled the blue into a top pocket. Hirjee conceding the frame with the last two balls still on the table.
When Hirjee began the fifth frame by sinking a red he found himself snookered on all the colours but, despite giving away four, soon got ahead with a break of 12. He followed up with a break of 17 to lead 36 – 5 and later became very favourably placed when Selvaraj in attempting the yellow struck the blue. The match ended with Hirjee potting the green, brown, blue and pink in a row.
By a Staff reporter
Former champion Chandra Hirjee struck his best form on Friday Night at the Great Eastern Hotel where he defeated Mysore T. A. Selvaraj by four frames to one to reach the semi-final round of the National Snooker Championship. The Scores were : 85-37, 93-15, 88-22, 32-75, 80-24.
It was a case of Selvaraj playing only as well as he was allowed to for Hirjee look a firm grip on the proceeding from the start and ran up a comfortable three frame lead. Great fighter that he is Selvaraj deservedly won the fourth frame but though he fought gallantly in the fifth there was little he could do to stop Hirjee.
It is one matter in Snooker to send the ball down the pockets but quite another to know where the cue ball will come to rest and here I think I have hit the ball on the head in summing up the difference between the two players on the night’s performance. Hirjee found his own positions whereas Selvaraj could not.
True to the tradition of the game each player aid traps for the other particularly in critical situation . When a snooker was necessary in order to make up leeway. But here both cueman rose to noble heights in extricating themselves from awkward situations by applying just that amount of “Side to make the Cue ball take a devious root and strikes its intended object.
What a brilliant start Hirjee made. Trailing two points to six with the pyramid hardly disturb he chalked up a nice break of 39 consisting of 6 reds one blue and four blacks .Despite again fight by Selvaraj the Mysore player found himself heavily in arrears by the time the pink ball has been sunk.
Hirjee hardly gave Selvaraj a chance in the second frame. He was well ahead by the time it was half – way through but after potting the last red he sent the brown down and cleared the table to complete the frame with a break of 32.
Selvaraj was just about beginning to settle down in the third frame with the score 10 – 8 in his favour, but Hirjee came up with a sparkling break of 22 and got well ahead when the reds has gone Selvaraj was in arrears again and fell deeper into perplexity by striking the pink on being snooked on the green.. With Hirjee potting the green and the brown he led 17 – 17 and then gave away five by going in – of the blue.
But that was as far as Selvaraj went for Hirjee finished the frame by potting the blue and the pink.
Selvaraj looked more re – assured when he took a quick lead in the fourth frame and when Hirjee missed an easy pot with the rest Selvaraj cashed into run up a lead of 33 -15.
Hirjee then began to fight back. He double the blue magnificently into one of the middle pockets and was still in with a chance despite the fact that Selvaraj led 53 – 23. Hirjee got out of several fight corners but the faith of the frame was sealed when Selvaraj doubled the blue into a top pocket. Hirjee conceding the frame with the last two balls still on the table.
When Hirjee began the fifth frame by sinking a red he found himself snookered on all the colours but, despite giving away four, soon got ahead with a break of 12. He followed up with a break of 17 to lead 36 – 5 and later became very favourably placed when Selvaraj in attempting the yellow struck the blue. The match ended with Hirjee potting the green, brown, blue and pink in a row.