Sirisoma, Aslam clash for billiards plum
Defending champion K.H. Sirisoma of Sri Lanka Port Authority) and S.H.M. Aslam of Moors SC (MSC) booked their berths to the final of the 62nd National Billiard Championship when they came out victorious in the two semi-final encounters played at the Billiard and Snooker Association headquarters billiard table at Sugathadasa Hotel in Colombo yesterday.
S.H.M. Aslam of MSC in action. - Pic by Amila Gamage
The pair won their matches with the identical winning margin of five frames to the three in the nine frame encounter.
Aslam prevailed over Mubeen in the first semi-final which played in the morning session but was made to work hard for his win by a gutsy Mubeen who is a cueist with immense experience having recently bagged the six ball snooker title and represented Sri Lanka at the Qatar Open Six Ball Snooker Championship earlier this year.
The match was no doubt a closely contested affair between the two experienced cueists. Aslam went into an early three nil lead having won the first three frames.
But Mubeen undeterred put in a sterling performance to decrease the lead by winning the fourth and fifth frames. Aslam fought back and the sixth frame saw him cueing a big break of 68 and win, to make it 4-2 in his favour.
The seventh frame saw Mubeen giving Aslam some anxious moments before going on to win and to stay in contention. Aslam who is a snooker specialist but has qualified in six national billiards final the last being in 2012 struck back and got his act together to seal his berth to the final by winning the eighth frame with ease.
In contrast Sirisoma the hot favourite who is looking forward to win the national billiard title for a record 23rd time took it cool. Rohana surprised the defending champion by taking the first frame but Sirisoma from there on had things his own way as he won the second, third and fourth frame with the minimum of fuss to lead 3-1 before the break.
K.H. Sirisoma of SLPA in action.
On resumption Rohana repeated his earlier feat by winning the fifth frame before Sirisoma increased the lead. Even though Rohana came back to win the seventh frame and make it 4-3, the defending champ made mince meat of his opponent as he coasted to an easy 100-25 in the eighth frame to qualify to the final.
The final of 11 frames is slotted to be played over two sessions with the first from 11.00 a.m. and the second session from 4.00 p.m. Prior to that the clash for the third place will be played at 10.00 a.m.
Semi Final Results:
S.H.M. Aslam (MSC) beat M.M. Mubeen (Army) 5-3 (100/37, 100/35, 100/85, 85/100, 96/100, 100/79, 41/101, 100/69). K.H. Sirisoma (SLPA) beat Anil Rohana (AAC) 5-3 (73/104, 100/18, 102/36, 100/75, 57/103, 100/73, 88/100, 100/25).