PUNE 28 th January, 2020:
The ” Golden boy of World billiards, Padma Bhushan, Pankaj Advani of PSPB reasserted his supremacy over his PSPB compatriot, Arjuna Awardee and former World Billiards champion, Sourav Kothari by five games to two in the best of nine 150 points up Manisha – Vascon 2020 National Billiards Championship here at the PYC Hindu Gymkhana.
Pankaj won the titanic battle which did not rise to the expected heights but still was not short of big breaks from both players considering the pressure of the finals. Pankaj exhibited his tactical play and acumen along with his unquestionable break building mastery. Combining the two skills, scoring and then virtually closing all the last three games with water tight safety, he planned all his moves on the ” Green baize” to a nicety and finally won by 13-150, 152-12, 151-00, 62-150, 150-45, 150-48 and 150-02 points, annexing the Seniors Billiards title of the 87th National championship.
The much awaited clash between the two super Icons of Cue sports of our country began with Sourav compiling a classic unfinished break of 131 to pocket the first game. Pankaj rallied adequately with breaks of 95 and 57 to take the second following up with a superb unfinished 151 break to gain the ascendancy.
Not to be denied, Sourav struck back with a break of 142 in the fourth restoring parity at 2-2. and it looked as if the match would go the distance but the Maestro Pankaj had other ideas.
Pouncing on the chance that came his way, Pankaj made a classy 135 break and played safe when he saw that no shot was on. Wresting the sixth game with a 94 break, Pankaj again froze the collected points and playing safe putting Sourav in a position where he could not score. With Sourav unable to keep his rival at bay, Pankaj again came up with a very useful contribution of 107 repeating the safety ploy when he found that he could not finish the game.
Sourav had no answer to this intelligent, calculated and cagey play to ultimately cave in. Pankaj collected the needed points in this game and with it the game, match and title.
In the play off for the third and fourth place, Dhwaj Haria was too hot for his PSPB mate, Brijesh Damani and won in three straight games by 150-71, 151-128 and 152-00 points. Dhwaj had a well compiled effort of 150 unfinished too in the third game to secure the match and the third position.
