Carlow (Ireland), April 29: Sourav Kothari, who fired in fits and starts right through his campaign, reserved his best for the last. The reigning champion came up with a brilliant effort in the title clash against fellow Indian and the in-form Pankaj Advani to retain his IBSF World Billiards Championship title late on Tuesday evening.
The bespectacled Kolkatan, focused and determined, outclassed the 19-time champion with a lopsided 1133-477 verdict in the three-hour final. Like in his earlier matches, he came up second best in the early skirmishes, but once he got his eye in, there was no looking back.
Kothari dominates final
Kothari played like a man possessed, and his unwavering concentration was something to behold. After the initial blues, the 41-year-old came up with a barrage of breaks to floor Advani. He had stupendous runs of 485, 121, 90, 241 and an unfinished 155.
When the bell went off, Advani walked across and gave him a congratulatory hug. Kothari looked heavenwards and gestured, “This one was for you, Dad”. His father’s (Manoj) passing early this year — a former champion 36 years ago — may have left a void in his corner, but he knew his father was there in spirit.
“Obviously, it feels incredible to win the World title, and to defend it is even more special,” said an elated Kothari. “I want to do it again for my father,” he said on tournament eve. Five days later, he was holding the most cherished trophy.
Advani unable to recover
The sizzling 485 in reply to his rival’s 141 early in the match set the tone. He took an hour and two minutes for the mammoth break. Having stayed off the table for a long period, Advani must have felt his cueing arm stiff as lead. For, when he got the chance, he couldn’t get going, often leaving Kothari with an easy leave to capitalise on.
If the 485, which culminated with a missed red pot to the centre pocket, wasn’t a hammer blow, the 121 and 90 breaks in quick succession took the match away from Advani. Trailing 224-700 with a little over an hour until the bell, the Bengalurean made a 64 before rushing an in-off to the top left-hand pocket.
Kothari punished that error with another silken-smooth 241 effort to take a whopping 941-288 lead. Under pressure, Advani compiled a break of 119 — which ended when he missed a thin in-off to the centre pocket — to reduce the deficit.
Kothari was not done yet as he came up with a flowing 155 before the bell went off.
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Result
(Final): Sourav Kothari (Ind) 1133 (485, 121, 90, 241, 155 unf.) bt Pankaj Advani (Ind) 477 (141, 64, 119).
