Riyadh, Jul 6 (IANS): Ace Indian cueist Pankaj Advani fell short in his quest to secure a hat-trick of titles at the 2024 Asian Billiards Championship after going down against compatriot Dhruv Sitwala, 2-5 in the final round.

Sitwala set the tone for the match with an impressive start, scoring 103 points while Advani struggled to get on the board, finishing with 0 points. Advani managed to improve his game, scoring 36 points, but Dhruv maintained his dominance with another 100.

In a surprising turn, Advani found his rhythm and outplayed Sitwala, achieving a remarkable 101. Sitwala, however, had an off-frame, scoring only 2.

Advani continued his momentum and scored 100, while Sitwala managed only 11. Sitwala’s consistency shone through as he scored 100 again. Pankaj, unable to keep up, ended the frame with 64. In the final two frames, Sitwala continued his streak with 101 and a perfect 100, while Advani managed to score 23 and 0. The match ended with Sitwala lifting the trophy.

Talking after the match, Advani said, “It was a thrilling match against a good friend of mine. Dhruv played the game really well and didn’t give any gap to recover. However, it was good to be here in Saudi for the first time and I hope to come back again soon and hopefully lift the title.”

“I have always said that I understand the unpredictable nature of the sport and the competition was packed with some very formidable opponents. It was a fiercely contested championship and I am glad that I was in the final with a highly-competitive opponent, where I fell short. Nevertheless, I am taking all the learnings as a lesson for my future tournaments,” he signed off.