Faster players hold the edge

MELBOURNE, Aug 17: The posh Royal Automobile Club of Victoria is the most befitting venue for the IBSF World billiards championship being...

MELBOURNE, Aug 17: The posh Royal Automobile Club of Victoria is the most befitting venue for the IBSF World billiards championship being held in memory of the greatest ever exponent of billiards, Walter Lindrum, in his centenary year as a tribute to him for the services he rendered to his country, Australia.

The matches commence at 9.30 a.m. on Tuesday and though the eight seeded players have been put into eight different groups, they will again be seeded on completion of the preliminary round robin matches according to IBSF rules which are different from the accepted conventional rules.

After the positions are clear in all groups, the seedings will be done on the basis of quot;all wins 8212; better differentialquot; and then they will be paired after drawing lots against the players who finish second in their groups in the opposite half. This basis of pairing will ensure that the best players according to their performance in the round robin, cannot face each other early.

The reasoning seems perfect on paper butas a faster player has a distinct advantage over the grinders, he may score much more against all his opponents and be at an advantage against a better, but slower player. Anyway the rules have been made and are to be followed till the IBSF change them.

The only professionals playing in this are the five Indians apart from firm favourite Robbie Foldvari of Australia, a former World professional billiards champion. Foldvari8217;s highest break in tournaments is 650 though he has crossed the 1000 mark barrier twice according to his own modest admission. Other Australian players who have fair performances are David Collins, Joe Manici and Frank Humphreys all of whom are regular double century break makers and with personal best breaks of 300 plus in the year gone by.

Subhash Agrawal and Nalin Patel head the Indian challenge. Subhash had shocked the billiards world with a superlative performance in winning the UK Open championship in 1995. Nalin Patel has beaten the big names 8212; Roxton Chapman, Robbie Foldvariand Mike Russell, the current World champion in the past year 8212; and has the makings of a World champion.

Manoj Kothari, the 1990 World amateur champion, has a tournament highest break of 426 and his best has been 695 in practice.

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B. Bhaskar, the fittest player amongst the Indian contingent, has improved by leaps and bounds in the last year after giving Geet Sethi the fright of his life in the 1996 Nationals played in mid 1997. Arun Agrawal of the illustrious Agarwal family has no doubt been surpassed by his elder brother Subhash in billiards and Om Agrawal in snooker before he died prematurely.

Shyam Jagtiani is more known for his prowess in snooker but cannot be taken lightly as he easily sidelined Nalin Patel and Ashok Shandilya in the 1997 Nationals in January this year. He is very consistent in his century breaks and is capable of a few upsets.Groupings

Prefix includes seedings

Group A: R.Foldvari 1, Aus, F.Humphreys 16, Aus, P.Martin Ire, P.Shelley Eng, M.CookeNZ.

Group B: P.Mifsud 2, Malta, D.Collians 15, Aus, J.Millen Aus, SM Shaharwardi Sri Lanka, R.Milicich NZ.

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Group C: P.Bennett 3, Eng, A.Agrawal 14, India, S.Mifsud, D.Boyce, S.Hall.

Group D: S.Agrawal 4, India, G.Ganim 13, Aus, K.Suares Aus, W.Carey NZ and T.Reilly S.Africa.

Group E: N.Patel 5, India, K.Udon 12, Thailand, N.Croft Aus, M.Stewart NZ, P.Formosa Aus.

Group F: M.Kothari 6, India, S.Jagtiani 11, India, M.Bolton Aus, L.Drennam Ire, J.Colebrook Aus.

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Group G: C.Praput 7, Thailand, KH Sirosoma 10, Sri Lanka, L.Higgins Aus, D.Townend England, I.Gilbee Aus.

Group H: B.Bhaskar 8, India, J.Minici 9, Aus, P.Stocker NZ, A.Murray Ireland, T.Walters Aus.