Pankaj Advani Wins 15th World Title

22 November, Bengaluru

Multi-time World cuesport champion Pankaj Advani of India won the 2015 IBSF World Snooker Championship defeating Chinese rising star Zhao Xintong 8-6, in an electrifying final played at at Hurghada, Egypt, Saturday night.

The final witnessed both the players exhibiting highest qualityof Snooker.

Pankaj who had the advantage of a 5-2 lead at the end of the first session maintained his tempo from the start of the second session togo ahead 6-2 by claiming the eighth frame with a scintillating break of 93 points and went on eventually to win the best of 15 frames final 8.6.

When it seemed all set for Pankaj to annex the crown without much difficulty after the break, the situation changed as 18-year-old Xintong suddenly unleashed his superb potting and won the next two frames to make it 6-4, with a break of 84 in the tenth. A missed potat the corner pocket when Xintong was all set to win the eleventh saw Pankaj once again rising to the occasion to again go ahead 7-4with a brilliant break of 77.

The crowd went berserk when Xintong in the next two frames broughtout two successive masterpieces of 126 and 82 and charged up theatmosphere.

At 7-6 once again Xintong had the initial opening and started building up breaks at the top end but lost position for the red. Adesperate attempt to stay on in the break saw him selling the red to Pankaj. In a now or may be never situation Advani showed great calmness under the most trying circumstances and kept on potting with clinical precision and precise positioning to compile a total clearance break of 109 to win the frame and the match 8-6.

The packed house joined the Indian team led by BSFI and IBSF president Captain Mohan to give Advani a tumultuous ovation for his 15th world cuesports title. This is Advani’s second IBSF World Snooker title. The first he won in 2003 in China.

Manoj Kothari was the accompanying Indian coach for both men and women’s team.