Bangalore: Even as veteran Yasin Merchant bid adieu to the sport, 26-year old National champion Pankaj Advani, along with Alok Kumar and Kamal Chawala, moved into the pre-quarter-finals of the IBSF World snooker championship here Thursday that witnessed its quota of century breaks.
Merchant, who at 45 felt it was time to quit, went down 4-5 to Australia’s Steve Mifsud, the 2002 champion, after putting up a great fight in a repeat of their 2009 championship clash in Hyderabad while Advani put in a polished performance to oust Mark Tuite of Ireland 5-0 and Chawla, the 30-year old from Bhopal, beat compatriot Anuj Uppal 5-3.
Merchant did well to fight back from 1-3 and 2-4 aided by a brilliant break of 127 clearance in the fifth frame besides two half-century breaks (67 and 67), but Mifsud closed the match with a super run of 68 in the ninth frame.
“I thought I had him. He was under pressure and was making mistakes. But then, the 68 break in the last frame was simply superb. Overall, he played better,” said Merchant who, in the course of the 127 break, rolled back the years.
“Yes, I was in the zone during that century break, and I wanted to just blast my way through, but then, my concentration and focus kept wavering. He had a good opening in the decider frame and that was it,” he added.
Advani, the 2003 champion, was all poise and finesse and though he had only two half-century breaks (55 and 67), he was rarely in a spot of bother, except in the fifth that was decided on the black ball.
For all that, Advani needs to shift gears as he is placed in a very tough half of the draw that has 2008 champion Thepchaiya Un-Nooh of Thailand who was among the most impressive winner in the round of 32. (IANS)