Advani blazes to title victory

Ruthless Pankaj Advani treated the motley ECA club members to a stupendous display of billiards as he battered talented teenager S Shrikrishna to gallop away with the G Raman Nair handicap billiards title here on Friday.

Fresh from having secured a double (time and points format titles) in the recently concluded IBSF World Billiards Championship, Advani showed no mercy whatsoever to an unsuspecting Shrikrishna who was left speechless at the end of the final.

Having warmed up nicely after ripped apart former world champion in the quarterfinal in Thursday and then talented youngster Dhvaj Haria in the semifinals earlier in the day, Advani took a little while to get his engines running.

But once he got tuned in, there was no stopping the 21-time world champion as he smashed an unfinished 1090-point break to speed home. Shrikrishna, just like the members who had gathered around the table to watch Advani play, had no choice but to applaud the champion who gave another masterful exhibition of his billiards skills.

Results: Final: Pankaj Advani -1000 (1090 unf) bt Shrikrishna -750 (97), 100-0.

Semifinals: P Advani -1000 (119, 101, 233, 456) bt Dhvaj Haria -900 (116, 135), 100-0; Shrikrishna -750 bt Rishabh Thakar -600, 100-0.