Advani pockets billiards title
June 22nd, 2012 - 9:14 pm ICT by IANSBangalore, June 22 (IANS) Defending champion Pankaj Advani, with seven World titles to his credit, showed who the boss was as he beat Balachandra Bhaskar 1001-802 in the final of the 14th ECA Raman Nair handicap billiards tournament here Friday.
With both players having displayed good form, the stage was set for a close battle. The 26-year old Advani opened the final with a run of 167 and followed it up with a 380 to counter Bhaskar’s breaks, 112 and 225, to take a comfortable if not winning lead.
Bhaskar, a five times winner here, fought back with a 206 that brought to fore his super touch, but he lost position to present Advani an opening. Advani replied with an unfinished 136 to close the match and pocket his third title.
Advani displayed flashes of brilliance and his mastery over the three-ball game was obvious during the break of 380 when he got into position to play the Postman’s Knock before a hasty shot cost him position that ended the break.
In the semi-finals Thursday night, Advani edged past Dhruv Sitwala 1000-994 while Bhaskar outplayed a wayward Sethi 1000-398.
The results (semi-finals):
Advani (breaks - 67, 134, 126, 146, 228) bt Dhruv Sitwala (breaks 277, 154) 1000-994; Bhaskar (breaks 350, 138) beat Geet Sethi 1000-398.
- Advani, Sethi enter semis at billiards meet - Jun 21, 2012
- Pankaj Advani pockets fifth national billiards crown - Jul 30, 2011
- Billiards: Pankaj Advani to meet Geet Sethi in semi-final (Lead) - Jul 30, 2011
- Sethi, Advani to play invitational billiards - Jun 19, 2012
- Sitwala in World Billiards Championship quarters - Aug 25, 2010
- Sethi warms up with easy win - Jun 20, 2012
- Billiards: Advani heads Indian challenge - Jul 16, 2012
- Advani, Sethi in semifinals of World Billiards Championship - Aug 22, 2010
- Venkatesham eliminates Alok in senior national billiards - Jul 29, 2011
- Advani, Sethi win in time format - Aug 24, 2010
- Advani eyeing eighth World billiards title - Oct 20, 2011
- Fairly satisfactory year for Indian cue sports (2010 in Retrospect) - Dec 25, 2010
- Advani, Sethi in last four of World Billiards Championship - Aug 26, 2010
- Meenal, Arantxa in National Billiards Final - Jan 25, 2012
- Advani retains billiards crown - Jan 27, 2012
Tags: advani, ball game, bangalore, billiards tournament, brilliance, defending champion, dhruv, eca, geet, handicap, match, nair, pockets, postman, semi finals, sethi, thursday night, who the boss, world titles