IBSF World Snooker: Paras Gupta Storms Into Pre-quarters

National champion Paras Gupta outplayed Mohamed Shehab of UAE 4-0 to storm into the pre-quarterfinals of the IBSF World 6-Red Snooker Championships here on Tuesday.

The 29-year-old didn’t come up with the big breaks, but played a percentage game to outsmart his rival. The eighth seed grabbed the chances – there were plenty on the day – that came his way, to floor the formidable Shehab in straight frames.

In the last-16 stage, the Agra-based Gupta, who finished runner-up at the Asian 6-red event in Colombo last month, will take on China’s Pan Yiming.

Late on Monday night, Aditya Mehta outclassed double World champion Muhammad Asif of Pakistan 4-0 to top Group ‘N’. By virtue of being ranked No. 2 in the reseeding, Mehta got a bye directly into the pre-quarters.

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GARG, KARTHIK IN LAST 16

In the U-21 category, India’s Mayur Garg and Mayank Karthik maintained their winning streak by making the pre-quarterfinals.

Garg, ranked No. 9 in the reseeding for the knockouts, outplayed hosts’ Abdulla Alaali comfortably (3-1) to set up a pre-quarterfinal meeting with young Kwan Chuen Chen of Hong Kong China.

Karthik, who made the cut for the Worlds through the selection trials, held his nerve to edge out the dangerous Dong Zihao of China in the round-of-32 clash. The Indian takes on Kai Nam Pang of Hong Kong China next.

Shahyan Razmi, the third Indian who made the knockouts, went down fighting to Pakistan’s Ahsan Ramzan 2-3.

Results (Indians unless mentioned):

Round-of-32: Paras Gupta bt Mohamed Shehab (UAE) 4-0 (54 (36) -15, 39-33, 34 (33) -14, 44-26).

League: Group L: Manan Chandra bt Sebastian Milewski (Pol) 4-2 (54-0, 12-40, 36-0, 46-4, 35-46, 47-31).

Group M: Pankaj Advani bt Mohammed Al Joaker (UAE) 4-1 (32-15, 34-17, 14-33, 42-0, 37-0).

Group N: Aditya Mehta bt Muhammad Asif (Pak) 4-0 (39-28, 43-0, 50-5, 70-0).

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U-21: Round-of-32: Mayur Garg bt Abdulla Alaali (Bhn) 3-1 (53-37, 23-67, 53-18, 74 (44) -2); Mayank Karthik bt Dong Zihao (Chn) 3-2 (61-33, 33-75, 63-7, 54-57, 78 (44) -32); Ahsan Ramzan (Pak) bt Shahyan Razmi 3-2 (44-88, 68 (59) -26, 36-66, 91-37, 61-19);