Asian champ Devendra Joshi gets the better of the defending champion Rupesh Shah
BANGALORE: He is called Mr Unpredictable in the billiards circuit, and former Asian Champion Devendra Joshi lived up to that tag. On Monday, the 41-year-old Mumbaikar dismantled the moves of the defending champion Rupesh Shah in 42nd IBSF World Billiards Championship being held in Bangalore. Joshi is on his way to ruffle some more feathers.
The day after finishing the tie off with characteristic fluency and finesse against the incumbent pro from Gujarat, Joshi told DNA, “I have played him several times before.
Past experience helped me match his skills frame by frame. All the pressure was on him as he was the defending champion.”
He isn’t hyped much, and Devendra likes it like that, speaking through his cues and moves. “Everyone is aware of each other’s capability. I can upset players and at the same time I cannot take other players lightly,” said the candid Joshi.
The former Asian Champion is not complacent post his win over Shah, and has his foot is firmly fixed on the ground. “Playing consistently in the knockout phase is very important, especially because it gives you no chance to recover,” he said.
Joshi is accompanied in the pre-quarters by a formidable line of players including the likes of Pankaj Advani, Peter Gilchrist and Geet Sethi.
He is also comfortable with the newer format of the game, which is being called cue sports’ T20. “150 up best-of-five is not a very short version to play. Every sport is getting shorter by the day. That is what people enjoy and we have to live up to their expectation,” he said.
Talking about his chances in the knockout phase of the tournament, Joshi feels that at the international level everyday has to be a perfect day. On being asked what his strategy would be to the run-up to the title, he says, “I will take one match at a time.”
