Pankaj Advani gave enough reasons to believe that he was running into form as he played solid games to win both his knockout matches and enter the men's quarter-final of the Seaways-IBSF World Snooker Championships here Thursday.
The 29-year old Bengaluru-based Advani smashed a brilliant 126 against while overcoming compatriot Laxaman Rawat, whom he dubbed as "the future of Indian snooker" 5-2 and then carried in the round of 32 and then carried the momentum into the pre-quarter-final clash with England's Ryan Causton, defeating the visitor 5-0, posting three half-centuries in the process.
Awaiting Advani, holder of 12 World titles, in the quarter-final is China's 14-year old prodigy Yan Bingato who crafted a brilliant 109 clearance en route to a 5-1 win over India's Varun Madan. In the previous round, Bingato had put out Welshman Gareth Allen, who made the tournament's highest break so far of 134, 5-3.
"I am feeling more comfortable now and made a few frame-winning breaks which mattered most for me. I was especially happy to win the second frame against Causton after trailing by some 60 points and I thought that was the turning point of the match," said Advani.
In fact, Advani laid a couple of snookers and then came up with a fine 34 clearance, taking the last red, the pink and all the colours to go 2-0 up. His other breaks were 55 in the first, 51 in the third and 52 in the fourth.
"A couple of times, I got distracted by crowd movements and photographers when I was in flow. I could have won a couple of the frames far more easily and I think from now on, I will try to finish off at the first opportunity," said Advani.
Among the most impressive quarter-finalist was China's 17-year old Zhao Xintong, last year's runner-up, who dropped just three frames in two matches while defeating Fabio Anderson Luersen of Brazil 5-3 and then blasting Lucky Vatnani 5-0 aided by four half-century breaks in just one hour, 15 minutes.
In the quarter-final, Xintong faces Australian Adrian Ridley who was far too good for India's Shivam Arora, winning 5-1.
On the distaff side, title favourites and double World champions Wendy Jans from Belgium and Hong Kong's Ng On Yee moved smoothly into the quarter-finals by defeating Indians Ameen Kamani and Arantxa Sanchis, respectively, by similar 4-0 margins.
The results (Indians unless mentioned):
Men (Round of 16): Zhao Xintong (CHN) bt Lucky Vatnani 5-0; Pankaj Advani bt Ryan Causton (ENG) 5-0; Yan Bingtao (CHN) bt Varun Madan 5-1; Adrian Ridley (AUS) bt Shivam Arora 5-1; Muhammad Sajjad (PAK) bt Thor Chaun Leong (MAS) 5-2.
Round of 32: Chaun Leong (MAS) bt Keen Hoo Moh (MAS) 5-1; Xintong (CHN) bt Fabio Anderson Luersen (BRA) 5-3; Bingtao (CHN) bt Gareth Allen (WAL) 5-3; Bolton (AUS) bt Chi Wai Au (HK) 5-0; Madan bt Soheil Vahedi (IRN) 5-1; Sajjad (PAK) bt Duane Jones (WAL) 5-2; Advani bt Laxman Rawat 5-2; Chandra bt Nick Jennings (ENG) 5-3; Lertsattayathom (THA) bt Chau Hon Man (HK) 5-3; Sarkhosh (IRN) bt Michael Judge (IRE) 5-3; Arora bt Lee Chun wai (HK) 5-3; Ridley (AUS) bt Sundeep Gulati 5-4; CaustonA (ENG)AbtABoonyarit KeattiunA(THA)A5-2; Damani bt Muhamed Shehab (UAE) 5-3; Kleckers (WAL) bt Mohd Reza Hassan (MAS) 5-2; Vantani bt Jamie Clarke (WAL) 5-2.A
Women (Round of 16): Wendy Jans (BEL) bt Amee Kamani 4-0; Ng On Yee (HK) bt Arantxa Sanchis 4-0; Siraphat Chichomnart (THA) bt Jessica Woods (AUS) 4-1; A
Round of 24: Nechaeva (Rus) bt Judy Walia 4-2; Wan (HK) bt Varshaa Sanjeev 4-2; Chichomnart (THA) bt Sue Martin (AUS) 4-0; Andal (PHI) bt Ip Wan Ij Jaique (HK) 4-2; Yan (HK) btADenise Santos (PHI)A4-1; JansAA(BEL) bt Neeta SanghviA4-1; Vasilijeva (LAT) bt Carmelita YumitoA(BRA)A4-1; Sanchis bt Neena Praveen 4-1.
Masters (Round of 16): Phisit Chandsri (THA) bt Prem Prakash S 4-1; Choon Kiat Tey (SIN) bt Igshaan Stanfield (RSA) 4-2; Craig McGillvray (SCO) bt Danny Connolly (ENG) 4-0; Noel Rodrigues Moreira (BRA) bt Keith Sheldrick (IRE) 4-2; Darren Morgan (WAL) bt Tom O'Driscoll (IRE) 4-0; Rafat Habib bt Alun Squire (WAL) 4-1; BV Srinivasa Murthy bt Graham Breadmore (ENG) 4-3; Chuchart Trirattanapradit (THA) bt Alok Kumar 4-3.
Round of 32: Prakash bt Chris Todd (AUS)A4-3; Stanfield (RSA) bt Nadeem Ahmed 4-2; MacGillivray (SCO) bt Salim Ali Alsuwaidi (UAE) 4-0; Connolly (ENG) bt Moosa Saleem (MAU) 4-2; Sheldrick (IRE)bt Wayne Morgan (WAL) 4-1; Moreira (BRA) bt Farhad Tengra 4-0; Morgan (WAL) bt Anthony Bonnar(IRE) 4-0; O'Driscoll (IRE) bt Wayne Brown (ENG) 4-3; Beardmore (ENG) bt Naveen Kumar KSA 4-2; Murthy bt Peter Vertommen (BEL) 4-0; Habib bt Munier Cassim (RSA) 4-0; Squire (WAL) bt Gavin Lewis (WAL) 4-2; Trairattanapradit (THA) bt Mohammed Al Joker (UAE) 4-2; Alok Kumar bt Paul Thomerson (AUS) 4-0; Chandsri (THA) bt Saleem Syed Abdul 4-0.
