Joshi wins last three frames to oust Mifsud 5-4

Veteran Malta ace Paul Mifsud was last night eliminated from the World Billiards Championships at the Jerma Palace Hotel, Marsascala, going down to India professional Devandra Joshi 5-4 in a tight quarter-final.

Mifsud, who earlier in the day had wrapped up qualification from the group stages after edging past Englishman Paul Sheehan 4-3 to make it an en plein from three matches, was very close to earning a place in the last four of the competition reserved for the world's top billiards professionals.

He led 3-0 and 4-2 before Joshi applied all his talent to stage a remarkable comeback which in-cluded a century break. The decider went the Indian's way 100-17. The event is organised jointly by the Malta Billiards and Snooker Association and Snooker Promotions.

Today, Joshi plays in the semi-finals against Peter Gilchrist. The latter yesterday beat David Causier 5-1.

The other semi-final will be contested by world champion Mike Russell and Chris Shutt, both from England. The two matches start at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

Meanwhile, the other three local cueists in the tournament bowed out without a win after losing their third group game.

In Group A Pullu Grech went down to Paul Lagan 4-0, Frans Mintoff lost his Group B match to Ashok Shandilya 4-0 and in Group C, former world amateur champion Joe Grech finished without a point after a third upset, this time to Joshi 4-1.