Cue sports icon Pankaj Advani wins 29th world title

The 41-year-old was the only Indian in the last-four stage and eventually came out on top

Legendary cueist Pankaj Advani proved he remains a formidable force on the circuit, pocketing a staggering 29th career world title by winning the WBL World Billiards Championship.

The 41-year-old was the only Indian in the last-four stage and eventually came out on top.

The final, played over a gruelling five-hour period, held great significance for both Advani and his rival, Rob Hall of England.

Hall had reached the World Billiards Championship final five times before this, but never crossed the finish line. For Advani, it was about extending his unparalleled record of world titles in cue sports.

The summit match began with Advani scoring a 91 break. Hall took the lead with an impressive 203 run. Near the two-hour mark, the finalists were nearly evenly matched on the scoreboard. Advani scored another century to take the lead. For the next 30 minutes, Hall played high-quality billiards to amass a 331 break and surge ahead of the multiple world champion by over 300 points.

With under two hours to go, Advani was staring down the barrel as the difference kept climbing.

At 697-1014, with 115 minutes left on the clock, Hall was poised for his maiden world title. However, Advani wouldn’t let that happen.

He made his intentions clear with a fluent 210 break, cutting down Hall’s lead to 100. Advani immediately returned to the table after his opponent missed a regulation shot.

Advani then crafted the most memorable break of the championship: a mammoth 587-break, the highest of the world championship this year.

It sealed the fate of his opponent while ensuring that Advani’s name was engraved on the coveted trophy.

“The second session of the final was billiards from the gods,” the gracious Hall said during the prize ceremony, referring to Advani’s extraordinary comeback and marvellous display of the three-ball game.

Advani said Hall was a fine player and his maiden title was around the corner. The world championship drew the toughest players from around the world. Michael Ferreira was the only one not present as he has long retired from competitive billiards.

Advani defeated compatriot Sourav Kothari 1134-575 in the three-hour quarterfinal earlier and got the better of in-form David Causier 1607-1271 in the last-four stage.

Advani will now switch sports and start preparing for the IBSF World Snooker Championship, to be held in Indore in mid-November.

Final score: Pankaj Advani (India) beat Robert Hall (England) 1906-1206. Breaks (50 and over): Advani: 587, 210, 197, 149, 147, 99, 91, 91, 55. Hall: 331, 203, 109, 87, 68, 50.