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World Billiards: Pankaj Advani creates history with his 3rd grand double

By PTI
Leeds, Oct 30: India's most celebrated cueist Pankaj Advani clinched the World Billiards Championship (time format) title to bag a record 12th world crown and also complete a rare 'Grand Double' post his third win in both the long and short formats in the same year.

Pankaj's best yet to come: Geet Sethi

Bangalore's 'Golden Boy' set the green baize on fire as he humbled England's rising star Robert Hall 1928-893 in a one-sided contest to hand his mother, Kajal, a perfect birthday gift on Wednesday (October 29). He had won the 150-up format last week after defeating Peter Gilchrist. (Full list of Pankaj's titles, awards)

Hall, who had got past Advani's city-mate Balachandra Bhaskar in the semi-finals, could not stand up to the Indian ace and the Englishman's maiden final appearance ended on a disappointing note.

But it was all smiles for Advani, whose third grand double makes him the only billiards player to achieve this feat. Advani, 29, surpassed Mike Russell, who had won the double in 2010 and 2011.

Advani's previous grand doubles were in Malta in 2005 and in his hometown in 2008. Saving his best for the last, which is often synonymous with Advani, he led 746-485 with the help of a 185 break in the first session of the five-hour final.

On resumption, the Indian ace fired in breaks of 94,182, 289 and 145, adding a whopping 1000 points in under two hours. Advani then went into overdrive making the match a foregone conclusion with over hour left on the clock.

Pankaj Advani's 3 doubles

  • 1st Double title (Points & Time format) Malta, 2005
  • 2nd Double title (Points & Time format) Bangalore, 2008
  • 3rd Double title (Points and Time format) Leeds, 2014

PTI

Story first published: Tuesday, August 22, 2017, 12:22 [IST]
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