Mumbai, Oct 17 (IANS): Amee Kamani of Madhya Pradesh and Varsha Sanjeev of Tamil Nadu recorded contrasting victories in their opening round 'Y' Camp (1st leg) matches of World Snooker Qualifiers, a Billiards and Snooker Federation of India (BSFI) National Selection Tournament, here on Sunday.
The MP cueist Amee was on a roll as she quickly got into her stride and dashed the challenge from seasoned campaigner Chitra Magimairaj of Karnataka by romping to straight frames 3-0 victory in the best-of-5-frame clash to start on a rousing note.
On an adjacent table, the Tamil Nadu cueist Varsha was engaged in a grueling battle with Maharashtra's Arantxa Sanchis before she managed to pull through to a thrilling 3-2 victory.
India No. 2 Amee quickly found her touch to take control from the start. The experienced Chitra tried to put up a fight but could not stop the Indore-based Amee from racing to an 88-03, 69-42, and 70-35 win.
Meanwhile, India No. 3 Varsha and Arantxa ranked No. 5 fought well and the contest witnessed a battle royal for supremacy. The Tamil Nadu cueist Varsha made a bright start taking the first frame before Arantxa replied strongly by pocketing the next two frames to take a crucial lead. But, Varsha came up with a spirited fightback and went on to snatch the remaining two frames to clinch a satisfying 66-29, 25-67, 16-75, 56-12, and 76-33 verdict and a deserving win.
Results (1st round - Y-Camp): Amee Kamani (MP) beat Chitra Magimaraj (KTK) 3-0 (88-03, 69-42, 70-35); Varsha S (TN) beat Arantxa Sanchis (MAH) 3-2 (66-29, 25-67, 16-75, 56-12, 76-33).