Bengaluru: Narucha Phoemphul’s aesthetics are as delicate as her skill with the cue in her hand.
It is impossible to say how many people have fallen victim to her kindness at and around the table, but if you ignore all the displayed niceties, you see a cold competitor who has made it her mission to hide her unscrupulousness.
On Sunday, Manar Albalawi of Saudi Arabia felt the full force of Phoemphul’s versatility, but certainly did not feel overwhelmed, as Phoemphul’s warm nature brought a smile to her opponent’s face at the end of a lengthy encounter.
Phoemphul recorded an 80-9, 43-34 victory over Albalawi in the Karnataka State Billiards Association Women’s Under-21 Snooker Championship.
Phoemphul had finished runner-up at the recent Women’s Under 21 World Snooker Championship and had her sights set on a title at this tournament.
Given her skill level, there’s no reason to believe she won’t make it to the end. However, she still needs to refine her protocol for sensitive security situations.
Take this match, for example: In the opening frame, she looked as composed as possible, even managing a break of 56 that brought her to a close with a click of a finger. But when Albalawi started to take away her freedom in the second frame by spreading the balls around, Phoemphul had to retreat into her shell.
While Phoemphul prefers to throw clean punches and some of the cuts in the opening frame were delicious, she was now backed into a corner and had to repeatedly wriggle out.
She did not do too badly, but because she was stuck, she missed the more obvious shots, which she sank with a smile and a follow-up in the first frame.
Had Phoemphul been up against a more safety-conscious pool player or someone with more tact at the table, she would certainly have had a tougher time. In that sense, Albalawi’s anxiety and her shaky concentration were Phoemphul’s saving grace.
Phoemphul probably won’t have that luxury in the future. Plus, everyone here at the track is now aware of her abilities, so maybe they won’t fall for the “soft kill” strategy.
Published August 25, 2024, 6:16 p.m. IS
