Mumbai, May 12 — In a gripping nine-hour marathon, Ishpreet Singh Chadha overcame snooker legend Pankaj Advani with a 10-7 victory to claim the title at the prestigious NSCI Baulkline Snooker Tournament.
Chadha Clinches Title in Best-of-19 Thriller
The final at the National Sports Club of India (NSCI) saw Chadha and Advani locked in a fiercely contested best-of-19 frames match. Chadha emerged triumphant with frame scores reading: 62-45, 4-77, 59-35, 7-65, 68-12, 57-66, 19-60, 90 (90)-0, 33-70, 0-97 (97), 99 (94)-16, 75 (67)-35, 75-27, 68-31, 83 (68)-10, 6-122 (122), 73-72.Advani’s Century Break Not Enough
Despite a brilliant 122-point century break in the 16th frame, the only century of the match, Advani could not stop Chadha’s relentless pursuit. The frame win briefly revived Advani’s hopes, but Chadha maintained his composure to close the game in the next frame.Redemption for Chadha
The win is particularly significant for Chadha, who had suffered close defeats to Advani in previous meetings, including last year’s 8-10 final loss and a 6-8 defeat at the CCI Snooker Classic in March. This victory not only avenges those losses but also signals his rise as a formidable force in Indian snooker.Edge in Consistency
Although Advani displayed superior potting at various points and led 4-3 early on, Chadha’s consistency paid dividends. Remarkably, both players were tied at 238 each in balls potted, underscoring how evenly matched the contest was.Chadha’s breakthrough win against a player of Advani’s stature marks a defining moment in his career and cements his place among the top contenders in the Indian snooker circuit.