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Seven-time world champion Geet Sethi sweated it out before entering the last-eight stage while teen sensation Pankaj Advani went down fighting in the pre-quarter-finals in the World Billiards championship in Hyderabad on Friday.
In a thrilling encounter, 18-year-old Advani rallied from a two-frame deficit to win the third frame in the best-of-seven frame format against U Kyaw Oo of Myanmar and take the match to the decider, where he lost narrowly.
Kyaw, the Busan Asian Games silver medallist, kept the pot boiling with his quick play but young Pankaj displayed controlled aggression to level the score at 3-3.
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The decider saw tense moments for the players but finally the Myanmar cueist made it to the last-eight stage with a 115-113, 151-115, 81-152, 152-77, 37-150, 109-150, 152-135 verdict.
On the other top table, Geet struggled to get the better of compatriot Alok Kumar, who turned in a splendid display of copybook billiards against the champion. After winning the first frame, Geet had no chance to visit the table as Alok went on a start to finish mission, making an unfinished break of 151 and went on to win the thired frame. Geet managed the next two frames, but Alok levelled by winning the sixth frame.
Amidst anxiety running high, Geet kept his cool and took the game and the match with conviction and authority.
In the other pre-quarter final matches, Praprut C (Thai) defeated Ian Willimson (Eng) 151-3, 57-152, 150-11, 151-4, 152-66, T Surjarijthurakaran (Thai) lost to Paul Bennet (Eng) 151-36, 12-150, 129-151, 100-150, 106-151, Lee Lagan (Eng) bt Devendra Joshi (Ind) 30-151, 150-0, 151-144, 150-30,152-67.
Earlier, India's Ashok Shandilya and Robby Foldvari of Australia had easy victories against their respective rivals in the pre-quarter finals.
Shandilya maintained his cool to cue his canons to perfection and demolish a fast playing English cueist David Causier 151-84, 151-106, 151-77, 10-151, 151-109 to enter the last-eight stage.
Australian veteran Foldvari fired on all his cylinders and was too good for Malaysian opponent Loon Hong Moh as he finished the match in four straight frames.
Foldvari was at his best in the second frame where he took an uninterrupted break of 152 and allowed the Malaysian to take 28 and 35 points in the next two games. Foldvari won 152-34, 152-0, 150-28, 151-35.