The National 6-Red Snooker Championships in Dehradun reached a fever pitch on Friday as the women’s and men’s semi-finals delivered thrilling contests, setting the stage for captivating title clashes. Spectators were treated to a mix of upsets and dominant performances, highlighting the fierce competition among the nation’s top cueists.
Women’s Final: Keerthana Pandian vs. Anupama Ramachandran
In a major upset, Karnataka’s Keerthana Pandian showcased remarkable resilience to defeat the formidable reigning champion Amee Kamani. Keerthana’s commanding 4-1 victory sent shockwaves through the tournament, denying Amee a chance to defend her title. This impressive win propels Keerthana into the final, where she will face the reigning Asian snooker champion, Anupama Ramachandran.
Tamil Nadu’s Anupama Ramachandran demonstrated her class with a comfortable 4-1 triumph over Ishika Shah of Madhya Pradesh, securing her spot in what promises to be an enthralling final showdown against Pandian.
Men’s Final: Pushpender Singh vs. Dhvaj Haria
The men’s section will see Railways’ Pushpender Singh take on Dhvaj Haria of PSPB for the coveted championship title. Both players delivered strong performances in their respective semi-final matches, advancing with relative ease.
Pushpender Singh displayed superior skill, outplaying his young rival Digvijay Kadian with a decisive 6-2 victory. Meanwhile, Dhvaj Haria navigated past the experienced Brijesh Damani, winning their semi-final encounter 6-3.
Road to the Finals: Key Results
Earlier in the quarterfinals, Brijesh Damani endured a grueling match, narrowly defeating Karnataka’s I.H. Manudev 5-4 in a hard-fought battle to earn his semi-final berth.
Detailed Match Results:
Men’s Semifinals:
- Pushpender Singh (Railways) beat Digvijay Kadian (Haryana) 6-2
- Dhvaj Haria (PSPB) beat Brijesh Damani (PSPB) 6-3
Men’s Quarterfinals:
- Damani beat I.H. Manudev (Karnataka) 5-4 (9-51, 20-44, 34-2, 33-34, 44-0, 42-37, 34-21, 20-28, 32-18)
- Haria beat Laxman Rawat (PSPB) 5-4
- Digvijay beat Sourav Kothari (PSPB) 5-3
- Pushpender beat Shrikrishna (PSPB) 5-3
Women’s Semifinals:
- Keerthana Pandian (Karnataka) beat Amee Kamani (Madhya Pradesh) 4-1 (43-0, 36-33, 31-43, 39-1, 50-1)
- Anupama Ramachandran (Tamil Nadu) beat Ishika Shah (Madhya Pradesh) 4-1 (33-22, 45-4, 18-31, 46-36, 48-6)
Women’s Quarterfinals:
- Keerthana beat Arantxa Sanchis (Maharashtra) 4-2
- Anupama beat Snenthra Babu (Tamil Nadu) 4-0
- Amee beat Shruthi (Tamil Nadu) 4-0
- Ishika beat Suniti Damani (West Bengal) 4-2