SPG-Park Club Billiards Tournament: Sitwala, Haria shocked on a day of upsets

World bronze medallist Dhruv Sitwala and India junior No. 1 Dhvaj Haria were shocked on a dramatic day of thrilling upsets, in the SPG-Park Club Open Billiards Handicap Tournament on Saturday.

The quarter-finals had its fair share of excitement with the hazards and thrills of handicap billiards as the favourites crashed out, leaving the lesser-known their opportunity to experience glory.

The last edition’s runner-up Rohan Jambusaria of Mandpeshwar Civic Federation, Borivali, playing with a -60 handicap, surged closer to making amends for losing the final to Park Club’s Amit Sapru in 2012 when he stunned Haria, playing with a -350 handicap, 250-200 in a thriller.

Haria made a desperate bid to stay alive and live up to his reputation at every opportunity but it was not enough. Jambusaria remained ahead and well in control all along to put Haria under pressure until Haria stepped on the pedal to give his opponent a scare towards the end.

Park Club’s Sanjiv Bijlani, with a -30 handicap, fashioned the other major upset of the day when he shocked twice world runner-up and title favourite Sitwala, the only surviving -600 handicap player in the competition.

Sitwala, who fired four century breaks and missed the fifth by eight points in the pre-quarter-finals against his PJ Hindu Gymkhana compatriot Ronnie Daruwalla, managed just a 63 as Bijlani sealed his place in the last four in brilliant fashion.

In the semi-finals, Jambusaria will take on Kabil Badami of Bombay Gymkhana, while Bijlani will face dark horse Shekhar Surve of Shivaji Park Gymkhana who upset Mahesh Jagdale of Elphinstone Cricket Club.

Results: Quarter-finals: Kabil Badami (-20, Bombay Gym) bt Chandu Kansodaria (-80, MCF) 250-230; Rohan Jambusaria (-60, MCF) bt Dhvaj Haria (-350, Ahmedabad) 250-200; Sanjiv Bijlani (-30, Park Club) bt Dhruv Sitwala (-600, PJ Hindu Gym) 250–366(63); Shekhar Surve (-70, SPG) bt Mahesh Jagdale (-275, Elphinstone CC) 250(93)-236(64,57).