Both the finals in the inaugural Club Aquaria Masters Squash tournament
went full distance. In the men’s event, top seed Paul Ferriera fought back
from two games down to beat Manish Chotrani 3-9, 5-9, 9-4, 9-6, 9-1 for the
top prize of Rs.8,000.
The Rs.30,000 tournament was sponsored by Continental Monarch and Haveli
Restaurant. In the juniors event,
India’s under-16 champion Abhijit Kukreja won 9-6, 9-3, 2-9, 5-9, 9-3
against Faraaz Patel.
Ferriera and Chotrani tested each other with an all court game with
frequent use of cross courts, drops and counter drops. Though he tried some
deception early on, it wasn’t enough against Chotrani, who picked up
everything and made the minimum mistake to win the first two games. However,
as Ferriera began to put on the pressure Chotrani, a little less match fit
than his opponent, began to wilt and began to lose steam against an opponent
who kept getting more determined.
Kukreja was feeling the effect of a cold and seemed spent from the start
itself. His tactic of just keeping the ball in play after he was two games
up didn’t seem to work as Patel began to catch up. In winners and wrapped up
the match with ease.
All the players expressed satisfaction over the playing conditions at
the newly built courts at this club which has facilities for badminton,
swimming, table tennis and bowling.
Sanjay Chhabria, who gave away the trophy, said the club was hoping for
a good response from the sports minded people of the city.
Paul Ferriera rallied to beat Manish Chotrani 3-9, 5-9, 9-4, 9-6, 9-1 to
win the inaugural Club Aquaria invitational Masters squash tournament
sponsored by Continental Monarch and Haveli Restaurant at the club’s
glass-back court, yesterday.
Ferriera collected Rs.8,000 in the Rs.30,000 event
co-ordinated by Juke
Box.
Niraj Shirgaokar took third place beating Cyrus Poncha 9-5, 9-2, 9-1.
Abhijit Kukreja took top honours in the junior (u-19) event winning 9-6,
9-3, 2-9, 5-9, 9-3.
The state of the art Club Aquaria at Borivli west will get its first
taste of competitive sport when an invitation squash tournament will be held
there this week.
International Paul Ferriera and state player Manish Chotrani are among
eight players invited for the men’s event of the Club Aquaria Masters,
sponsored by Continental Monarch and Haveli Restaurant and co-ordinated by
Juke Box. The total prize money is Rs.31,000, of which the men’s winner gets
Rs.8,000.
A highlight of Club Aquaria, which has two glass-back squash courts and
facilities for badminton, table tennis and Billiards, is a water park based on
the British White water technology.
The three day event, commencing on August 2, will also have
participation of eight juniors in a separate event. Matches will be held on
league cum knockout basis.
Cyrus Poncha put up a gallant fight against Paul Ferriera in the first
game, losing it at 9-10. This, however, knocked the fight out of him and
Ferriera went on to win the next two games at 9-0, 9-2 to make a good start
in Group ‘A’ to his campaign in the Rs.30,000.
Club Aquaria Masters Tournament, sponsored by Continental Monarch and
Haveli Restaurant and Co-ordinated by juke Box at Club Aquaria’s glass-back
courts at Borivli on Friday.
In Group ‘B’ Niraj Shirgaokar won a well contested match against Avinash
Bhavnani at 9-5, 9-6, 9-6.
In another match in this group, Manish Chotrani was not unduly extended
to get the better of national professional champion C S Pawar, the scores
reading 9-6, 9-3, 9-1.
The other match in Group ‘A’ between Mangesh Nadkarni and Santosh More
was interrupted by a power failure.
AFTAB Mathur created a favorable
impression, though
going down in straight games to the eventual winner Abhijit Kukreja in the
Junior (under-19) event of the Club Aquaria Squash tournament sponsored by
Continental Contractors, Monarch and Haveli Restaurant and co-ordinated by
Juke Box at the Club Aquaria courts, Borivali, over last weekend.
Mathur was able to collect just four points in each of
the three games, but this assumes significance in that Kukreja went on to
win the title. The experience should stand Mathur in good stead as he along
with eleven other juniors from Maharashtra are scheduled to participate in
the Hong Kong Junior Open which caters for age groups under 10, 13, 16 and
19 from August 15.
Top seeded in the junior knock-out competition, Faraaz
Patel looked like living up to expectations as he rallied from two games
down against Kukreja to draw level and lead 3-1 in the decider.
Patel, a former national junior number two, is striving
to make a come-back after being sidelined by a knee injury for over three
years.
From that point however Kukreja came into his own, not
conceding another point to win at 9-6, 2-9, 5-9, 9-3. Kukreja was awarded a
Prince racket and Rs 1500 in cash.
Paul Ferreira and Manish Chotrani swept all before them
to earn a meeting in the men’s final of the Rs 30,000 Club Aquaria squash
masters tournament, sponsored by Continental, Haveli and Monarch.
Ferreira beat his preliminary group, Cyrus Poncha 10-9,
9-0, 9-2 professional Santosh More 9-5, 9-2, 9-0 and Mangesh Nadkarni 9-2,
9-6, 10-9. Chotrani’s fine stroke play saw him take in his stride
professional Chandrakant Pawar 9-6, 9-3, 9-1, Avinash Bhavnani 9-3, 9-8, 9-4
and Niraj Shirgaokar in straight sets. The men’s winner will get Rs 8,000.
The juniors final will be between Faraaz Patel and
Abhijit Kukreja. Patel, making a rare appearance after being sidelined by a
knee problem, beat Tushar Bhambhane 9-1, 9-4, 9-5, while Kukreja accounted
Carl Bokdawala 9-4, 94, 9-4 in the semi-finals.
Ferreira Tops (Article in The Pioneer, Mumbai
: 07/08/1996)
PAUL FERREIRA won the inaugural Club Aquaria
Invitational Masters Squash Tournament, sponsored by Continental
Contractors, Monarch and Haveli Restaurant, at the club’s glass-back courts
here on Sunday.
In the play-off for the first prize of Rs. 8,000 in the
Rs 30,000 event, co-ordinated by Juke Box, Paul Ferreira came from behind to
beat Manish Chotrani 3-9, 5-9, 9-4, 9-6, 9-1.
In the other play-offs, Niraj Shirgaokar beat Cyrus
Poncha.
PAUL Ferreira got off to a good start in this squash
season with success in the Club Aquaria Invitational Masters Squash
Tournament at the Club Aquaria courts in Borivali last Sunday.
Ferreira picked up the top prize of Rs 8,000 out of a
total prize money of Rs 30,000.
Ferreira topped pool A by beating Poncha (10-8, 9-0,
9-2), Santosh 9-9-0) and Mangesh Nadkarni (9-2, 9-6, 9-8) to top the pool.
In Group B Chotrani scored over all the opponents in
straight games. He downed G S Pawar 9-6, 9-3, 9-1, Avinash Bhavnani 9-3,
9-8, 9-4 and Niraj Shirgaokar 9-1, 9-0, 9-4 for the top spot in the pool.
By beating Santosh More 9-4, 9-0, 9-2 and Mahesh
Nadkarni 9-5, 9-5, 9-5, Poncha, who lost his opening tie against Ferreira,
finished second in Shirgaokar, who defeated Bhavnani 9-5, 9-6 and Pawar 9-5,
6-9, 9-0, 9-3 before losing to Chotrani. In the play-off for the third
place, Shirgaokar beat Poncha 9-5, 9-2, 9-1.
16th
Tournament Organised by ISP
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