Defending champion Alok Kumar of Petroleum Sports Promotion Board (PSPB) sidelined his teammate Devendra Joshi 6-3 in the snooker (senior) final of the National Snooker and Billards Championship at the Goregaon Sports Club in Mumbai on Sunday.
In a totally one-sided final the Punjab based Alok Kumar won 59-39, 72-41, 54-39, 67-48, 39-59, 71-40, 7-97, 61-68, 58-16.
The Mumbai-based Joshi was totally off colour and was already trailing 1-5 before he managed to come up with his highest break of 88 in the match in the seventh frame to make it 2-5.
Though he managed to win the eighth frame on the black ball, he could not stop Alok Kumar from winning the ninth frame 58-16 and with it the match.
In the semi-finals, Joshi had defeated Aditya Mehta of Maharashtra 5-3 while in the other semi-final, Alok Kumar beat back a determined challenge from his teammate Pankaj Advani to win with an identical scoreline.
Kumar, who was leading comfortably at 4-0, did not have any significant breaks throughout the match. However, he not only managed to take advantage of Joshi's poor potting but also held on to the lead in the first four frames.
Alok Kumar, the current Asian champion, was a relieved man after the match and told reporters that he was very happy to come through despite not playing top class snooker.
Results (senior snooker) final: Alok Kumar (PSPB) beat Devendra Joshi (PSPB) 6-3 (59-39, 72-41, 54-39, 67-48, 39-59, 71-40, 7-97, 61-68, 58-16).
