Pankaj Advani wins Singapore Open title

Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani won the coveted Songhe Singapore Open title with a 5-1 win over local favourite Jaden Ong in Singapore on Sunday.

Pankaj Advani wins Singapore Open title. | Photo Credit: AM FARUQUI

Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani won the coveted Songhe Singapore Open title with a 5-1 win over local favourite Jaden Ong in Singapore on Sunday.

On his way to the final, Advani beat former IBSF world snooker champion Dechawat Poomjaeng of Thailand 4-3 in a thrilling quarterfinal at the Lagoon Billiards Room.

While the 5-1 score of the final seems lopsided, the first two frames were won by the Indian clearing the colours from a deficit to pip the Singaporean on both occasions to take a 2-0 advantage.

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With some heavy scoring in the third by Advani, Ong needed to turn up the attack to offer himself a chance to survive in the final stage of the prestigious event.

A resurgent Ong pulled a frame back to be in contention. However, in the fourth, a brilliant snooker put by Advani on the final brown allowed him back in the frame and with a clean clearance from brown to black, Advani was one frame away from the championship.

In the final frame, Advani scored a 74-6 win to lift the title.

Advani will defend his world billiards title in Doha in November.