Indian well on top in billiards

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33096, 11 December 1972, Page 18

Indian well on top in billiards

New Zealand Press Association

AUCKLAND

On present form in the world open billiards championship, Satish Mohan of India looks to be unbeatable. He has played 10 matches for 10 wins in this round-robin series, and is well out in front of L. Driffield (England), who has played eight and won six, and E. Charlton (Australia), played nine and won six.

Mohan featured in two matches at the week-end, I both at Pukekohe, and in one of them, on Saturday, beat Driffield, the present world professional champion, by the convincing margin of 1941 to 1010. At his third visit to the table Mohan scored 250, and followed with 108. He held a substantial lead throughout; and finished the match with four consecutive breaks of a; century, one of them a scin-i tillating 287. Although Driffield was i [consistent, he scored more ; ithan 50 on only eight visits' to the table and managed [ [only two century breaks. |j Yesterday Mohan annihil- ' ated Mohammed Lafir, of;' Sri Lanka, 2285 to 875. Lafir : played with a sensitive touch and brought off some spec- ' tacular shots, but he also! missed relatively simple can-[I nons when he looked set for! big breaks. HARD-EARNED WIN The final session, played last night, of the match be-! tween J. Karnehm (England)! and M. Ferreira (India) was! a cliff-hanger. The result was) a hard-earned, well-deserved win to Karnehm, 1325-1007. i< Until the last 20 minutes neither player was able totake control and the lead, changed several times. There / were no really big breaks. ' each man registering centuries on three occasions and ■ playing consistently. In the last stages. Karnehm compiled a tradesmanlike

break of 122 and went into the lead by ,226. Ferreira briefly lost control of his game at this stage and Karnehm grasped the chance to increase his lead, with a further break of 106. In other contests, C. Everton (Wales) beat K. Kennerley (England), 919-869. and Karnehm beat J. Fryer (England), 1708-746.