Asian Snooker Championship: Pankaj Advani crashes out in semis

ByArun S Kaimal, SportsCafe Editor

04/23/2016

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Indian ace Pankaj Advani bowed out of the Asian Snooker Championship on Friday after losing to Thailand’s Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn in the semi-final. The fifteen-time world champion matched the Thai cueist frame-to-frame before going down 3-5 in a tightly contested match at Doha.

After registering comfortable victories in the tournament thus far, Pankaj Advani ran into Thailand’s Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn, who has been on a giant-killing run in the tournament, in the semi-final. Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn had ousted former IBSF World Champion Mohamed Asif of Pakistan in the quarters and continued the run by defeating Pankaj Advani.

From start to finish there was nothing separating the two cueists as both players matched each other frame-to-frame. Advani lost the first frame to the Thai 46-86, before bouncing back to win the second frame 64-21. However, the 27-year old Thai produced a brilliant century break in the third to take it 142-0 as the lead flip-flopped. The Indian ace once again came back into the match in the fourth frame and levelled it at 2-2 by taking it 99-0 with a break of 94. The fifth frame belonged to Kritsanut Lertsattayathorn as he won it 71-5 before Advani roared back by taking the sixth 18-99, with a break of 90.

With the match heading towards a tight finish, the Thai upped his game and took the seventh and eighth frames 77-28, 66-31 respectively to confirm a place in the final.

Speaking to the media after the match, Pankaj Advani expressed his disappointment and congratulated the Thai cueist for his performance.

“The match didn’t go my way but credit is due to my Thai opponent for the way he played. I am looking forward to the next tournament in Abu Dhabi next month and I am glad to have started with the snooker season with a lot more in store,” the 30-year-old Bangalorean was quoted as saying by the Gulf Times.