Date:08/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/08/stories/2008110861162100.htm

Sport - Billiards & Snooker

Xiao Guodong sends Pankaj Advani packing

Geet Sethi

WELS (Austria): Pankaj Advani’s quest for a second IBSF World snooker title ended late on Thursday night as he crashed out of the 2008 IBSF World championship losing 6-2 to China’s Xiao Guodong.

In the ladies event, Vidya Pillai was overwhelmed 4-0 by England’s Emma Bonney while Anuja Chandra lost 4-3 to Ching Ching Yu.

Of the seven-member team, which landed in Wels almost two weeks ago, I remain the lone Indian survivor on the basis of an emphatic 4-1 quarterfinal victory over Hong Kong’s Yam Shui Ng in the Masters event.

Against the 19-year-old Guodong, Advani was unable to find the resilience, a quality, which has become synonymous with his name. The contest commenced with Advani establishing a 2-1 advantage.

Guodong responded with a 89 to level 2-2 and then extended his lead to 3-2 with two useful breaks of 34 and 43.

The loss of a crucial sixth frame in which he took the early initiative with a well-compiled effort of 63 severely dented the Indian’s confidence. He played safe after accumulating that break of 63 and even though he was successful in getting the cue ball near the baulk cushion, he allowed his opponent to see the red.

This was enough for the Chinese as he calmly potted the red and cleared with a 49 to clinch that crucial frame on the pink.

This in effect meant that Advani now faced a disheartening 2-4 deficit instead of what could have been a 3-3 scoreline. The Chinese gave no chance to Advani in the 7th and 8th frames winning with scores of 86-1 and 76-36 to negotiate an overwhelming 6-2 victory.

Guodong now runs into Thailand’s Thepchai Un-Nooh in the semifinals. The 20-year-old rising star of Thai snooker had upset his compatriot and one of the pre-tournament favourites James Wattana 5-4 on Wednesday and on Thursday night scored another hard-fought 6-5 victory over China’s Yu Delu.

The semifinal line-up: Men: Colm Gilcreest (Repulic of Ireland) v/s Soheil Vahedi (Iran); Thepchaiya (Thailand) v/s Guodong (China).

Ladies: Wendy Jans (Belgium)v/s Emma Bonney (England); Ching Ching Yu (Hong Kong) v/s Reanne Evans (England).

Masters: Dene O’Kane (New Zealand) v/s Robby Foldvari (Australia); Geet Sethi (India) v/s John Welsh (England).