Snooker qualifying day

A bleak and rainy day greeted the opening of the cue sports event of the 07/08 IHRG Recreational Games. Consisting of snooker and 4-ball, players and supporters alike gathered inside the frigid confines of the Nanyang House billiards room. However, the atmosphere was anything but chilly. Each game was preceded by heated discussion, occasionally even leading the event facilitators to “shh” the crowd.

Prelims

Snooker: 0 win, 3 loss
4-ball: 2 wins, 0 loss

Loser’s Bracket

Snooker: 1 win, 1 loss
4-ball: 2 wins, 0 loss

Runner-up Competition

Snooker: 0 win, 2 loss
4-Ball: 2 wins, 0 loss

The Hall 7 side consisted of (i) for snooker: Stanley Sim. Sario, Kang Jia Xi and Daniel; (ii) for 4-ball: Tam and Soen Chin Chun.

During the preliminaries, we were drawn against Hall 12. It was the toughest draw, being the only team that boasted IVP players. For snooker, Sario was up against the lone female player in the tournament. She rushed to an unassailable 16 point lead early in the game, eventually winning 73-26. It was essentially a one-woman show. Jia Xi and Stanley didn’t fare well either, going down tamely 35-38 and 29-41. For 4-ball, Hall 7 did much better, with Chin Chun and Tam wining both matches 52-40 and 78-66 respectively. Tam got off to a slow start, but later jumped to a 64-57 lead before winning the match.

In the second round, we were grouped into the loser’s bracket against Hall 8. There was less pressure on the players, as the opponents were less fancied. In snooker, Daniel was first up. He got off to a strong start with a 8-1 lead, but ran out of steam later in the game, letting his opponent catch up to 20 points before wrapping up with a 28-20 win. At the other table, Jia Xi was soundly defeated 33-99. Not all was lost, however. The 4-ball players managed to deliver the goods again; with Tam overcoming an initial 3-4 deficit to score a convincing 80-57 win. Chin Chun didn’t disappoint either, scoring the highest points at that point, with an impressive 107-48 thrashing of Hall 8.

With a much improved performance in the second round, we were booked for the third round, i.e. to determine the runner-up. Against Hall 14 this time, we had our confidence significantly bolstered by the earlier wins. However, things did not look up again. Daniel and Sario lost their snooker games 28-16 and 35-8 respectively. Sario did not stand a chance against his opponent who was potting very well. Once again, it was up to Tam and Chin Chun to salvage whatever shreds of confidence we had left. Chin Chun was lagging behind for most of the game, but managed to regain his form during the latter half of the game, reaching 61-64 at the penultimate cue. We looked to win, but our hopes were hanging on a thread. Sadly, it was a difficult pot, and the tables were not turned, so we had to content ourselves with a nail-biting finale which ended with our loss. At the other table, Tam continued his winning streak, gaining a 59-38 lead early on in the game, and finishing strongly with a 101-81 win.

Although we did not advance further, all the players are to be commended for their poise and sportsmanship. With a 3rd place standing, we at least have something to show.

-Joshua Chong