Pankaj Advani books spot in CCI All India Open snooker semis

Indias top-ranked cueist Pankaj Advani of enjoyed a smooth passage to the semifinals as he cruised past home challenger Mukund Bharadia 5-0.

Pankaj Advani beat Mukund Bharadia 5-0 in a best-of-9-frame quarter-final match at the CCI All India Open. (file photo)

Indias top-ranked cueist Pankaj Advani of ONGC Sunday enjoyed a smooth passage to the semifinals as he cruised past home challenger Mukund Bharadia 5-0 in a best-of-9-frame quarter-final match of the CCI All India Open Snooker Championship.

Advani, winner of multiple world championship gold medals, showed a lot of fluency with his pots and was in complete control against the Cricket Club of India and Maharashtras second ranked player Bharadia. Advani started with a break of 53 in the first frame and then signed off with a 85 in the fifth to complete a 62-10, 71-34, 66-16, 68-42 and 85-7 victory.

READ | Mukund Bharadia defeats Brijesh Damani, moves into quarters

On the adjacent table, Indias second ranked cueist Laxman Rawat of Indian Oil, was in cracking form and constructed two century breaks, 105 in the second frame and 108 in the fifth to waltz to a 5-1 win against Varun Madan of Delhi in another last eight encounter. Rawat showed great character and superb touch and control as he neatly stitched together those two substantial efforts to race towards a 58-79, 105-0, 51-11, 64-41, 108-7 and 56-48 success.

Results Round of 8: Pankaj Advani (ONGC) beat Mukund Bharadia (Mumbai) 5-0 (62(53)-10, 71-34, 66-16, 68-42, 85-(85)-7); Laxman Rawat (Indian Oil) beat Varun Madan (Delhi) 5-1 (58(58)-79, 105(105)-0, 51-11, 64-41, 108(108)-7, 56-48).