India No 4 Sitwala stunned in handicap open snooker tourney

Mumbai, Aug 1 (UNI) India No 4 Dhruv Sitwala was a surprise casualty when he crashed out in the first round of the Kotak Mahindra Bank-Wilson Jones Open Handicap Billiards&Snooker Championship at the P J Hindu Gymkhana here today.

Islam Gymkhana's Ali Kachwala (+60) fashioned the upset of the day when he overcame Sitwala (+15) 91-63, 87-101, 97-72 in a best-of-three frames tie.

Sitwala, who recently returned from the World Professional Billiards Championship in Leeds, was runner-up in a parallel competition with the highest break of 298. He kept his hopes alive by snatching the second frame, but Kachwala enjoyed a substantial lead in the decider to take it away from his more accomplished opponent who made a late challenge.

In other first round upsets, Kaizad Dandiwala (+55) shocked Aditya Agrawal (+45) 111-101, 115-96, while Haji Usman (+55) overcame Reza Merchant (+45) 101-92, 109-81 in an all-Islam Gymkhana contest.

Results: Snooker: 2nd Rd: Mundir (+55) bt Shabir Masani (+55) 142-67, 116-109.

1st Rd: Mitul Parekh (+60) bt Ninad Borkar (+60) 118-81, 74-12, 100-95; Kunal Rokade (+55) bt Nikhil Sapre (+50) 91-71, 107-86; Milind Divekar (+60) bt Dashbir Narula (+60) 123-90, 122-82; Gautam Jagtiani (+60) bt C.B. Kadam (+60) 99-108, 127-93, 124-92; Ali Kachwala (+60) bt Dhruv Sitwala (+15) 91-63, 87-101, 97-72; Ramesh Sadarangani (+45) bt Malcolm Andrade (+60) 100-81, 113-88; D.

Braganza (+50) bt Nikhil Gadge (+60) 107-103, 99-97; Bernard James (+50) bt Umesh Marathe (+55) 109-97, 113-90; Sanjiv Bijlani (+50) bt Siddharth Khemani (+60) 105-84, 123-117; Urvesh Mehuta (+60) bt Akshary Borkar (+60) 76-104, 106-100, 110-103; Kaizad Dandiwala (+55) bt Aditya Agrawal (+45) 111-101, 115-96; Deepak Khubchandani (+40) bt Sanjay Kothari 102-68, 102-71; Rahil Patel (+60) bt Karan Chugh (+60) 114-81, 107-85; Haji Usman (+55) bt Raza Merchant (+45) 101-92, 109-81; J.S. Yende (+45) bt C. Aubrey (+55) 107-104, 124-117; Rajan Phutale bt Sandeep Ankola 118-87, 104-113, 104-96; C S Puranik (+45) bt Sanjay Dane (+60) 109-87, 116-102.

UNI