FORMER national champion Viliame Umu was in blistering form yesterday as he thrashed Praneel Singh 4-1 to win the third National Snooker Ranking Tournament in Suva yesterday.
The Bilolevu Club player remained focused throughout the match and gave Singh no chance to make a move at Merchants Club.
Umu won the first two frames 72-15 and 73-43 but lost the third frame of the Fiji Bitter and Carz and Carz-sponsored tournament 36-80.
That loss gave Umu the motivation he needed as he rallied back to win the next two frames 64-6 and 47-39. After the match, he said the last time he had won a national ranking tournament was in 2010.
He did not play in the first two ranking tournaments this year in Lautoka and said he opted to play in this one because of the love for the sport.
"Winning this tournament is not a big deal for me; I just came here to enjoy snooker. The win is a bonus," Umu said.
"With the work I do at the Suva City Council, it's hard for me to practise or to go to play in tournaments in the Western Division so I play here in Suva and Nausori and when I do play, I play with all my heart," he said.
He said he knew how Singh played so he expected the moves and mistakes by his opponent.
"We know each other's games very well and he had learnt from me on some occasions and by now we know each other's moves very well.
"So some of the moves he made, I expected it and I knew where he will make mistakes and I capitalised on it," Umu said.
In the premier division Avneet Maharaj won his first major event after he beat Abdul Masood 3-2 in the final yesterday.