Chennai, Dec 7 (PTI) World champion Pankaj Advani crushed the challenge of Delhi’s Avinash Kumar to move into the men’s 6-Red snooker knockouts in
the National Billiards & Snooker Championships here Thursday.
PSPB’s Advani, who clinched a record 26th ISBF world title in Doha last month, produced a stellar show to win 4-2, including a break of 47 in the third frame to enter the round of 32 at the Nehru Indoor Stadium.
Advani had begun his campaign in style on Wednesday, trumping Sufyan Ahmed of Karnataka 4-0 in a Group A encounter, earning breaks of 41, 44 and 34.
Along with Advani, other favourites such as Kamal Chawla (RSPB), Aditya Mehta (PSPB) and S Shrikrishna (PSPB) also reached the round of 32.
Dhvaj Haria of PSPB recorded a maximum break of 75 in the final frame of his 4-2 triumph over Abhijit Ranade of Maharashtra as he too entered the last-32 stage.
Rakesh Kamaraj is the lone player remaining from Tamil Nadu, and he will take on UP’s Paras Gupta in the round of 32.
In women’s 6-Red snooker, in-form Anupama Ramachandran of Tamil Nadu overpowered Renu Bharkatiya of Madhya Pradesh 3-0.
TN’s Neena Praveen sailed past Sumitra Raj 3-1 in her final group match.
