Advani sweeps past Haria to clinch title

Bengaluru, January 15: India’s Golden Boy Pankaj Advani started off the new year on a winning note as he emerged victorious at the 85th Senior National Billiards tournament at the Karnataka State Billiards Association on Monday.

Advani maintained a clean slate as he defended his title, defeating Dhvaj Haria 5-0. Dhvaj playing in his maiden final was no match for the world champion. Needing best of nine, Advani did not break a sweat as he waltzed to victory.

The opening frame set the tone of the match as Advani crafted a single break of 147, eventually taking the frame 151-00. Haria was not match for the multiple national champion as he claimed the next frame as well 152-00. Haria did manage to collect a few points in the third frame, but it hardly stopped the Karnataka cueist who took the frame 151-36. The fourth frame saw Advani craft the highest break of the match as he took the frame 151-00, without Haria even trying to get into the match.

The final frame saw Haria put up a brave fight as the young cueist crafted a break of 67. But it was not enough to stop his senior pro as Advani wrapped up the frame 152-112, to be crowned national billiards champion.

Meanwhile in the third-fourth place match, Karnataka’s B Bhaskar ousted PSPB’s Rupesh Shah 3-2 to finish third on the final rankings.

Results: Final: Pankaj Advani (PSPB) beat Dhvaj Haria (PSPB) 5 – 0 [151 (147)-00, 152 (109)-00, 151 (138)-36, 151 (151)-00, 152 (84)-112 (67)]; 3rd & 4th placing: B. Bhaskar (KAR) beat Rupesh Shah (PSPB) 3 – 2 [150-57, 62-150, 151-116, 26-150, 152 (150)-09]

Final Ranking:

1. Pankaj Advani (PSPB)

2. Dhvaj Haria (PSPB)

3. B.Bhaskar (KAR)

4. Rupesh Shah (PSPB)

5. Alok Kumar (PSPB)

6. Siddharth Parikh (RSPB)

7. Devendra Joshi (PSPB)

8. Brijesh Damani (PSPB)

Men Snooker National Qualifying:

1st Round: V. Anand (KAR) beat Veda (TLGN) 3 – 1 [51-30, 42-55, 75-07, 65-12]; Faisal Khan (KAR) beat V.V.S.Pradeep (AP) 3 – 0 [55-40, 70-58, 65-32]; Manish Shenoy (KAR) beat Abhinav Abhiraj (JHD) 3 – 2 [49-23, 27-40, 61-27, 59-62, 62-56]; Shyam Jagtiani (WB) beat Salaluddin (KAR) 3 – 0 [65-14, 96-31, 62-01]; Kartik.B.C (KAR) beat Rajan Khokhar (UP) 3 – 2 [88-09, 65-23, 49-51, 18-61, 68-25]; Anand Shah (KAR) beat Harsh Siyas (MAH) 3 – 0 [60-41, 49-08, 47-16]; Shaik Rafayath (AP) beat Rizwan M.D (KAR) 3 – 2 [54-16, 23-47, 26-63, 57-27, 73-26]; GYugandhar (KAR) beat G.Pradeep (AP) 3 – 2 [22-77, 65-13, 18-65, 67-16, 65-25]; Vadhiraj (KAR) beat Rohan Kothare (MAH) 3 – 2 [66-40, 44-75, 19-60, 84-44, 62-50]; Siddharth Raj (JHD) beat Mubarak.M (KAR) 3 – 1 [59-34, 61-52, 58-63, 46-44]; D. Raj Kumar (KAR) beat Pawan Teja A.M (KAR) 3 – 0 [80-41, 80-16, 57-21]; Nadeem Azeez (KAR) beat M.Sudher Reddy (AP) 3 – 0 [65-58, 56-17, 75-09]; Avinash (DEL) beat Suraj Vyas (TLGN) 3 – 0 [55-24, 59-43, 60-00]; Harsh Kabra (MP) beat Arshad Ayub (KAR) 3 – 0 [53-46, 44-41, 60-17]; Arvind Savur (KAR) beat Vidit Jain (AP) 3 – 2 [20-58, 60-26, 56-25, 53-55, 62-20]; Sandeep Solanki (DEL) beat Manpreet Singh (MAH) 3 – 0 [48-26, 55-38, 46-43]; Arafat Mondal (WB) beat Naveed Pasha (KAR) 3 – 2 [47-56, 80-35, 64-38, 51-58, 61-42]; J. Varun Kumar (TN) beat Sitaram Randhe (MAH) 3 – 0 [66-02, 67-25, 50-23]; Avenish Shah (MAH) beat Sourabh Ayyagiri (CHG) 3 – 0 [85-40, 71-41, 50-11]; Mundir Sherazi (KAR) beat Vipul (MP) 3 – 1 [50-58, 65-50, 59-50, 67-14]; Nilesh Patankar (MAH) beat Anirudh Gandhi (RAJ) 3 – 2 [55-09, 50-18, 37-68, 16-43, 55-18]; Easwara Moorthy (TN) beat Lakshay (UKD) 3 – 1 [87-61, 64-44, 35-61, 64-27]; Nawazuddin (TLGN) beat Harshil Shah (GUJ) 3 – 2 [40-48, 65-52, 54-49, 50-65, 74-27]; Vinayak Agarwal (UP) beat Dhruv Singh (TLGN) 3 – 1 [68-44, 43-66, 50-40, 75-09]; Sudin Maldinni (KAR) beat Parth Solanki (MAH) 3 – 0 [64-25, 69-02, 64-11]; Md. Zulfigar Ahmed (KAR) beat Pragyan Sai.Y (KAR) 3 – 0 [56-04, 49-30, 77-27]; Md. Hussain Khan (MP) beat S.Prem Prakash (TN) 3 – 1 [92-33, 50-48, 24-66, 78 (78)-05]; Rohit Kumar (TLGN) beat Shwet Niranjan (MP) 3 – 0 [55-29, 71-21, 63-03]; Yusuf (KAR) beat Deepak (TN) 3 – 0 [69-19, 55-22, 75-70]; Manmeet Bhatia (DEL) beat Abhinav Dhiman (HAR) 3 – 1 [66-43, 40-64, 51-40, 78-37]; Kishore Pandiri (AP) beat Aayush Srivastava (UP) 3 – 0 [61-20, 61-31, 66-04]; Raju. S (KAR) beat Srinivas Kasturi (MAH) 3 – 1 [50-37, 56-69, 64-16, 69-53]; Harish A.R (KAR) beat Vinay Tharwani (RAJ) 3 – 0 [51-43, 63-21, 69-22]; Ketan Chawla (MP) beat Tanveer Basha (KAR) 3 – 0 [72-07, 59-28, 74-02]; Sumit Naidu (MP) beat P.Abhiraj (TLGN) 3 – 1 [69-19, 57-38, 46-53, 56-37]