UAE national billiard team captain Esmail Yaqoub changed roles in the second day of the 22nd Sharp Cosmos UAE Open Snooker Championship and came out a strong 3-1 winner over Abu Dhabi's more snooker wise Talal Sultan yesterday.
Choosing to do some very specific practice routines to adapt to snooker tables before the match paid dividends for the intelligent cueist from Mizar in Bur Dubai.
He successfully negotiated a somewhat unresponsive table to book his place in the last sixty four next week.
Yaqoub said: "My concentration and aiming were okay, but the table was a little slow, so I need to come in and do a bit more practice before my next match if I am to get through.
"In billiards, the aim of the shot and reaction of the cushions is totally different than snooker."
A two-time champion in 1992 and '95, Yaqoub also came through his first round with ease, using his considerable experience of playing in the UAE national snooker team to his advantage.
In the battle of two referees, Roshan D'Souza managed to overcome fellow officiator Ahmad Hashim with some deft safety in a final frame thriller.
The match itself was overseen by Dr. Saleh Peer Mohammad, who resisted the urge to get involved in the game himself.
Matches are played every day from 7pm at Dubai Snooker Club in Al Karama.
Results: Yahya Bulaila 3 Khalid Haji 2; Ahmad Wahab 3 John Grindley 0; Roshan D-Souza 3 Ahmad Hashim 2; Ismael Yaquob 3 Tala Sultan 1; Shabbir Hussain 3 Ali Shaheen 2; Masood Aqil 3 Khalid Dhahab 0; Mubarak Jonan w/o Mando Ferndanand; Dr. Saleh Shehab 3 Saeed Yahya 0.
