Pankaj Advani shifts to Pro mode

Pankaj Advani’s life has come a full circle in the last one year. After failing to defend his IBSF World Billiards titles (point and time format), national billiards title this year, the ace cueist now has World Pro Billiards title at stake. Advani will be flying to Leeds, UK, on Sunday for the World Professional Billiards Championships starting on October 27.

Advani agreed it has not been a year to remember. “I have set such standards that a runners-up or semifinal performance is deemed to be unsuccessful,” Advani told DNA on the sidelines of Asian Games camp in Bangalore on Friday.

The cueist said the fact that he could not defend his titles has motivated him to do better at the World Pro championships.
In September 2009, Advani beat Englishman Mike Russell to win the elusive Pro title. The same opponent beat Advani to the IBSF Billiards point format title in Pune this year and also got the better of Advani in the semifinals of time format too. The Bangalore ace might run into him at the later stages of the tournament but isn’t worried of his 2010 tormenter.

It is going to be non-stop action for him. After finishing his World Pro defence, Advani will have to shift gears and represent India at the Asian Games in November.

“While the World Pro title will be a traditional long format, at Asiad, it will be 100-points best of five format knockout. The pace will be totally different,” explained the cueist.