Advani in pre-quarters of 150-Up World Billiards Championship

Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani blanked Sasan Lashkari 3-0 to enter the pre-quarterfinals of the 150-Up format in the IBSF World Billiards Championship, in Bengaluru on Saturday.

Advani kept the pressure on his Iranian rival by sketching big breaks in best of five games.

The Indian master clinched the match with a break of 154 in the very first visit of the third game, which eventually turned out to be the decider.

Advani clinched the first game with a break of 141 in his third visit, and ultimately won it 152 against zero of Lashkari. Continuing his good work, Advani also pocketed the second game 152 against 20 of Lashkari, with a break of 91.

In the first match of the day, Advani had task cut out but registered a 3-2 win over compatriot Alok Kumar who gave him a tough challenge.

Ten-time world champion began the campaign by losing the first game 53 against 150, after he did not find any answer to Kumar's 134 break.

Advani bounced back by sniffing past in the second game 150 against 117, with the cueists picking up the gauntlet, trying to outsmart each other.

Advani's break of 92 was just enough an answer to Kumar's 72. He then cliched the third game 150 against 20, rather easily, but lost the fourth game 117 against 150 when Kumar's break of 105 proved better than the Bengaluru lad's break of 90.

Going into the fifth and the deciding game, Advani kept his lead intact by scripting a break of 115 as against Kumar's 94. He, however, won the second match of the day by defeating Myanmar's Chit Ko Ko 3-1.

The first game saw Advani win 158 against 128. Ko Ko scripted a break of 128, taking the initial lead over the Indian star, but Advani bagged the game by scoring a break of 150 in his very first visit.

Advani lost the second game 65 against 150 after the Myanmar cueist posted a 117 break. The Indian superstar won he next two games 150 against 112 and 150 against 39, to register the victory.

Image: Pankaj Advani

Photograph: PTI