Ludhiana, March 30 The celebrated cueist Pankaj Advani continued his impressive run in his debut national pool championships, securing a dominant victory in the semifinals here on Monday and advancing to the men's 9-ball pool title clash.
The PSPB professional barely faltered in his 11-5 victory over Karnataka's Kushal Chandrashekar, who finished fifth in the previous edition three years ago.
In the final on Tuesday, the 40-year-old Advani will face Chandigarh's Nitin Sharma, who defeated S Shrikrishna 11-10 in the other semifinal.
Known for his brilliant safety play and precise potting, Advani dominated his opponent from the start. Capitalizing on his opponent's mistakes, he quickly established a 4-0 lead in the race-to-11 match.
A rare error from Advani gave Kushal a chance in the fifth rack. The multiple-time world champion in snooker and billiards, Advani, snookered himself after potting 4 to the bottom right-hand pocket. Kushal then managed to regain one point.
Kushal capitalized on Advani's dry break in the sixth rack. He cleared the table after a lucky double of 1 to the top right-hand pocket. He almost managed another lucky shot in the seventh rack, but Advani, playing like a seasoned pool professional, cleared the table to take a 5-2 lead.
Advani showcased his skill by keeping the racks short, potting 9 off 2 in the 11th rack and 9 off 7 in the 12th. Although Kushal may have been slightly off his game, Advani was in top form, wrapping up the match quickly.
In the other semifinal, with the score tied at 10-10, Nitin Sharma won the match with a decisive break. After potting 1 and 3 with his break, the Chandigarh pro went on to win 11-10, setting up a thrilling match against Advani.
Results: Men (semifinals): Pankaj Advani (PSPB) bt Kushal Chandrashekar (Kar) 11-5; Nitin Sharma (Chd) bt S Shrikrishna (PSPB) 11-10.
