India's ace cueist Pankaj Advani on Thursday won his third straight IBSF billiards crown in the 150-up format, taking his overall tally of world titles to a staggering 20.
The 33-year-old from Bengaluru beat Nay Thway Oo of Myanmar in a high-quality final. After dominating the '150-up' format, Advani will now compete in the longer version, 'Up' format, which commences immediately.
It was also a proud moment for Myanmar, which saw its player in the title round for the first time. Nay Thway Oo did well to oust multiple world champion Mike Russell in the semifinal with a convincing 5-2 victory.
Up against the man to beat in the world of billiards, though, Oo wasn't given much breathing space. Advani's flow left even the local crowd in awe of his prowess as they saw the visitor steal the dream from its national hero.
It's a perfect 20 and I'm glad that I'm still hungry for more.
Pankaj Advani
'This win is extremely special for me. It's a perfect 20 and I'm glad that I'm still hungry for more. It's pleasing to be able to play at a quality level over the years and looking to take this tally beyond a score,' the champion said.
As Advani played the winning shot, the sporting Myanmar cueist clapped, smiled and rose from his chair to congratulate his worthy opponent.
Earlier in the tournament, Advani qualified top of his group without dropping a frame. Another record was created when Advani dropped a total of only three frames — one in the quarterfinal against Dhvaj and two in the final.
