Monday 1 August 2011

Can Mehta do better?

Aditya Mehta is one of a clutch of players vying for better luck on his second attempt on the professional tour.

When he first broke onto the circuit , rather fortuitously in 2008, he was the first Indian player to do so in over a decade since Yasin Merchant back in the 1990s.

After finishing runner-up in the Indian national rankings and the Asian Championships that year, he was only granted a place as a rival declined.

But known for his heavy scoring, Mehta was hoping to make it stick.

Despite eventually settling into life on the tour and advancing to the third qualifying round of ranking events on three occasions, it wasn't enough to retain his card. Again a runner-up in the Asian Championship last season, this time he was awarded his place as the Asian nomination.

An impressive 4-0 win against Stephem Maguire in last season's PTC5 again proved he could play but defeat in his first match at the Australian Open, 5-1 to Tian Pengfei, suggested he was in for another tough ride.

Today he showed different signs with an impressive 5-0 demolition of Grismby's Stuart Carrington.

Sure Carrington is in his maiden season, but the general consensus is he's a young player who could be here to stay.

There's not such overwhelming confidence in the fortunes of Mehta however. No disrespect, but he's one of a few players who slipped under my radar when I looked at the list of competitors this season. His result today made me stand up and notice.

I wonder what else he's got up his sleeve this week on the road to Shanghai...

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