Shivam Arora wins third match in a row

Vasco, Aug 24 (UNI) Shivam Arora won his third match in a row to ensure a place in the last 32 of the Vascon-Manisha IBSF World U-21 Snooker Championship at the Bogmallo Beach Resort here today.

He beat New Zealand's Ryan Knott, who true to his surname, tied Shivam down with snookers in the fourth frame before the India No 3 went through with a 4-0 score in Group G.

Pushpinder Singh, India No 8, had a 2-1 win-loss record after beating Ahmed Ghulam Muanedi of Bahrain 4-2. Ajay Bhushan and Younis Kuchey also had a 2-1 record.

Shahbaaz Adil Khan had 1-2 win-loss record with four to play while Younis Kuchey was 2-1 up. Balaji Reddy was the only Indian to lose all three matches and has a question-mark against his qualification.

The girls matches also commenced and ten-year-old Delhi kid Keerat Bhandal was pitted against 17-year-old Arantxa Sanchis. She lost 0-3. ''She is bound to improve,'' said Sanchis, an IT engineering student from Mumbai, who took to the game in Pune.

Lavanya Bhaskaran and Akanksha Singh were involved in a five-frame tussle that was stopped and resumed. Down 0-2, Lavanya, an engineering student from Chennai reeled off the next three frames to beat Akanksha 3-2.

In matches that went to the wire, India's Rishab Pandya edged out Northern Ireland's Jonathan Kells 4-3, as did Ireland's Colvin O'Brien against Belgian Davy Pauly and Chinese Li Hang against Kristof Vermeiren of Belgium.

The results: Group A: Joseph Loughran (N Ireland) bt Gailums Tomass (Latvia) 4-2 (54-53, 62-22, 39-50, 70-64, 9-46, 7-27); Michael Georgiou (Eng) bt Ali Al Obaidly (Qatar) 4-0 (48-41, 96-4, 76-6, 58-42); Pushpinder Singh beat Ahmed Ghulam Muanedi (Bahrain) 4-2 (68-60, 63-68, 43-72, 49-11, 66-56, 87-10).

Group B: Moh Keen Hoo (Malaysia) bt Matt Williams (Eng) 4-2 (22-64, 27-86, 83-0, 82-23, 68-4, 87-0); Omar Alkojah (Syria) bt Balaji Reddy 4-1 (67-29, 61-48, 41-54, 84-10, 70-41).

Group C: Colvin O'Brien (Ireland) bt Davy Pauly (Belgium) 4-3 (58-51, 62-61, 31-59, 9-64, 71-43, 16-55, 51-33); Younis Kuchey (India) bt Khalid Al Mohamed Al Khamaly 4-2 (54-17, 53-86, 62-52, 71-25, 42-54, 58-11); Pramual Jantad bt Colvin O'Brien 4-2 (67-18, 30-70, 33-67, 71-38, 69-43, 66-52).

Group D: El Agamy Ehaab (Egypt) bt Hussein Alwatani (Bahrian) 4-1 (first frame forefeit, 73-28, 57-53, 21-54, 50-35), Li Hang (China) bt Kristof Vermeiren (Belgium) 4-3 (79-13, 30-76, 1-63, 55-63, 63-38, 64-9, 71-38). El Agamy Ehaab bt Shahbaaz Adil Khan (India) 4-1 (57-18, 70-75, 62-55, 110-43, 69-25).

Group E: David Hogan (Ireland) bt Thor Chuan Leong (Malysia) 4-2 (65-52, 63-17, 85-11, 29-84, 9-65, 65-29).

Group F: Rishab Pandya (India) bt Jonathan Kells (N Ireland) 4-3 (12-78, 91-65, 96-36, 38-65, 60-5, 61-87, 45-10).

Group G: Stephen Ellis (Wales) bt Abdulla Ibrahim Hassim Abdulla 4-0 (90-12, 93-7, 87-8, 72-3), Shivam Arora (India) bt Ryan Knott (NZ) 4-0 (59-23, 69-19, 73-25, 75-37) Group H: Shravan Mohta (India) bt Giovanni Dequenois (Belgium) 4-1 (12-29, 20-47, 69-28, 56-45, 63-61); Chinnakrit Yaowannasri (Thailand) bt Joeri Reisg (Netherlands) 4-3 (28-4, 61-51, 74-13, 24-66, 39-67, 69-42, 65-20).

Girls: Ng On Yee (Hong Kong China) bt Hasani Armaghan 3-0 (81-49, 60-10, 61-30), Arantxa Sanchis (India) bt Keerat Bhandal (India) 3-0 (56-29, 58-27, 70-3), Lavanya Bhaskaran (India) bt Akanksha Singh (India) 3-2 (43-57, 44-94, 79-15, 75-65, 67-36).

UNI