Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): World snooker champion Pankaj Advani of Petroleum Sports Promotion Board crashed out of 15 reds snooker event at the 88th National Billiards & Snooker championship being held in Bhopal even as he met his match in Shivam Arora, the cueist from Maharashtra, on Sunday.
Shivam who is a full time snooker coach played like a man possessed, trouncing the champion cueist, Pankaj in a nine-frame duel, which was eventually won by Shivam with a degree of comfort in the ninth deciding frame of the best of nine frames contest.
It was Pankaj who was the first to produce a century break, one of 100 points in the second frame when it was 1-1. The next two frames were also shared equally before Shivam struck a superb break of 127 in the seventh frame.
Pankaj played brilliantly to come into the reckoning as he pocketed the eighth frame. With the frame scores tied at 4-4, Shivam played out of his skin to thwart all the safety ploys of Pankaj as the winner plundered breaks of a 71 and sounded death knell with a 36-break sealing the fate of Pankaj.
Kreish Gurbaxani of Maharashtra also created a flutter of sorts as he knocked out professional snooker player from PSPB, Aditya Mehta, in eight frames winning by five frames to three at 04-66, 71-29, 27-70, 74-59, 00-70, 77-53, 86-05 & 70-21 points.
Kreish foiled all the tactics of Aditya as he out plotted his senior Mumbai mate with a few scorching shots all-round the table. Uttar Pradesh champion Ayush Mittal continued to impress spectators as he toppled a talented cueist of Madhya Pradesh Hrithik Jain by five frames to three.
Women’s event
In the last sixteen stage of women’s snooker nationals, which is being played side by side with the men's event, Anupama Ramachandra of Tamil Nadu notched up a classy break of 88 in the second frame of her match with her state mate, Neena Praveen whom she beat by 67-34 & 114-01 points.
Anupama was poised to crack a century when she pocketed the blue ball on the colour stage with only the pink and black remaining. Anupama missed the pink trying to pot into the top pocket to disappointment of the gathering.
