Becomes the only cueist to win a hat-trick of Asian Billiards titles.
Pankaj Advani created history again by becoming the only cueist to win a hat-trick of Asian Billiards titles after defeating Singapore’s Peter Gilchrist in a nail-biting final encounter.
At the Yeshwant Club in Indore, Advani eventually outclassed Gilchrist 6-5 in the best-of-11 crunch game to become the youngest Asian to win four Asian billiards titles.
He earlier defeated Yaw Oo of Myanmar in the semifinal to set up the title clash against Gilchrist who he had bettered in last year’s Asian Billiards final in Pune.
The last time they met, in the semifinals of the Vietnam Asian Indoor Games, the match had ended in the Gilchrist’s favour.
“The previous Asian Billiards final was a close match. I won 5-3 and at Indoor he had beaten me. His knowledge of the game is superior and I expected the final to be a high quality game and it was one,” said the reigning world professional billiards champion.
Though the Bangalore cueist took an initial 3-1 lead with a century break in the second and 86 break in the third game, Gilchrist potted a resurgent 97 break in the fifth game to narrow the lead to 3-2.
Advani gave way while on 38 in the seventh and Gilchrist capitalised to equal the scores.
In the next game, the Bangalore had an incredible century break to win the ninth game. Gilchrist equalled the scores again in the penultimate game with a brilliant 98 break.
“When I had a 3-1 lead, I thought I was in a good spot but he (Gilchrist) kept coming back with good breaks and I had missed a couple of easy shots,” reckoned Advani.
But Advani gave no chance for the Singaporean to recover and won the decider with an unfinished century break to end the match at 6-5 and clinch his fourth Asian Billiards Championship.
“It couldn’t have been a better final,” Advani said after winning the title. “A hat-trick at the Asian Billiards is very special to me because it’s a short game and very unpredictable. Retaining the title has given me a lot of confidence,” he added.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}