Asian Snooker Championship: Pankaj Advani tops group, qualifies for knockouts

Doha: Defending champion Pankaj Advani topped Group A and qualified for the knockout stage in the Asian Snooker Championship on Tuesday. Advani defeated recently crowned world champion Ahsan Ramzan of Pakistan 4-1. Ahsan started and took the initial lead in the first frame but the moment he missed, Advani secured the frame 73-38, according to a statement. In the second frame, Advani posted a break of 50 points and obtained a comfortable 2-0 lead. Though Ahsan returned to the game with a break of 58 and cut the deficit 1-2 Advani was fully focused and sent a century break of 102 points to maintain his lead 3-1. The fourth frame was close where Advani obtained the initial lead with a break of 44 points when he missed a crucial red pot and Ahsan attempted a comeback with a couple of visits. With the last red on board, Ahsan required all colours to secure the frame and he started potting brilliantly. He came quite close to securing the frame by potting pink but couldn't handle the pressure and missed the black, which allowed Advani to secure the frame and the match also. I have got great insights from my dear competitors and the matches so far have been great. I am looking forward to maintain my consistency," Advani said.