Pankaj Advani, a renowned cueist, initiated his 6-Red snooker campaign impressively after a hiatus due to Cyclone Michaung, which caused a temporary pause in the ongoing 90th National Billiards & Snooker Championships at the Nehru Indoor Stadium.
Advani, who recently clinched his 26th ISBF world title in Doha, displayed his prowess by defeating Sufyan Ahmed of Karnataka with a commanding 4-0 victory. His performance included notable breaks of 41, 44, and 34 in Group A, setting a strong tone for the challenges that lie ahead in the tournament.
Reflecting on the nature of the 6-Red format, Advani, a former champion and last year's runner-up, emphasized its unpredictability, highlighting the competitive edge it offers.
The tournament features 64 players equally divided into 16 groups for the round-robin league stage, with the top two from each group progressing to the knockout rounds.
In other notable matches from the day, Kamal Chawla, a semi-finalist from last year representing RSPB, secured a convincing 4-0 win against Hassan Badami from Maharashtra in Group B. Additionally, Aditya Mehta of PSPB triumphed over Vijay Nichani from TN with a 4-1 victory in Group G.
(With Agency Inputs)
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