It will be a clash between players of two generations when newly crowned world professional champion Pankaj Advani meets maestro Geet Sethi in the National billiards final at Hotel Clarks Shiraz in Agra on Saturday, reports Sharad Deep.
It will be a clash between players of two generations when newly crowned world professional champion Pankaj Advani meets maestro Geet Sethi in the National billiards final at Hotel Clarks Shiraz in Agra on Saturday.
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Champion of the previous two editions, Advani would be aiming for a hat-trick of titles, whereas former champion Sethi would try his best to avenge his earlier defeats at the hands of his younger opponent.
Much was expected in the semifinals on Friday, but both ties turned out to be one-sided affairs as Petroleum Sports Promotion Board's Advani outclassed team-mate Devendra Joshi 4-0, before Sethi registered a similar win against Dhruv Sitwala.
A master of cannon play, Advani didn't allow Joshi a chance after winning the first game 152-51 with a break of 111. In the second, he notched up a break of 131 to finish the game at 151-21, and in the third, he left Joshi stranded with a break of 153. Enjoying a 3-0 lead in best-of-seven encounter, Advani then went for the kill with an unfinished break of 150. Sethi too mesmerised his opponent Sitwala, the only southpaw player in the country, with a stunning display.
Results (semis): P. Advani (PSPB) bt D. Joshi (PSPB) 4-0 (152-51, 151-21, 157-3, 150-0; G. Sethi (Guj) bt D. Sitwala (PSPB) 4-0 (150-75, 150-2, 152-15, 150-127).
Sharad Deep is a versatile sports journalist, who loves writing on cricket and Olympic sport. He has played cricket at the university level and has been writing for Hindustan Times since 1997.
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