Can Ishpreet Chadha Outsmart Pankaj Advani in NSCI Snooker Final?

Synopsis
Key Takeaways
- Ishpreet Singh Chadha claimed victory in a thrilling final.
- The total prize pool of the tournament was Rs 32 lakh.
- Chadha's career is significantly boosted by this win.
- Pankaj Advani showcased impressive skills with a century break.
- This match strengthens India's position in cue sports.
Mumbai, May 12 (NationPress) After enduring several hours filled with tension and anticipation, India's emerging cue sport talent, Ishpreet Singh Chadha, achieved a significant psychological victory by defeating the formidable Pankaj Advani with a score of 10 frames to 7 in the final of the Rs 32 lakh prize NSCI Baulkline 4.0 All-India Snooker tournament at the NSCI Dome this Sunday.
Chadha, who boasts a win rate of nearly 53 percent in professional snooker, and Advani were closely matched throughout the nine-hour contest (including breaks), but ultimately, Chadha claimed victory, earning Rs. 5 lakh as his prize. Advani took home Rs 2.5 lakh.
Advani, a multiple-time World Champion in both billiards and snooker, exhibited superior potting skills while leading 4-3. However, Chadha refined his potting abilities and consistency, concluding the match with a score of 238-237 in pots. The sole century break in the final was a remarkable 122 achieved by Advani in the 16th frame, after which Chadha secured the match, which was set to 19 frames, in the 17th.
Previously, Advani advanced to the final with an effortless 8-2 victory over Himanshu Jain in the semifinals of the Rs 32 lakh tournament. Advani dominated the match with three breaks exceeding a century, while Jain managed to claim two frames.
In the other semifinal, Ishpreet Singh Chadha triumphed over Aditya Mehta in a closely contested 8-6 match, setting the stage for a repeat of last year’s final against Advani.
In this final showdown, Ishpreet Singh Chadha, who previously achieved a maximum break of 147 in an earlier round—a rare feat in snooker—finally celebrated victory over Pankaj, having lost to him in two previous finals. Chadha had been defeated 8-10 in last year's final and 6-8 in the CCI Classic Snooker in March of this year.
Result (final):
Ishpreet Singh Chadha bt Pankaj Advani 62-45, 4-77, 59-35, 7-65, 68-12, 57-66, 19-60, 90 (90)-0, 33-70, 0-97 (97), 99 (94)-16, 75 (67)-35, 75-27, 68-31, 83 (68)-10, 6-122 (122), 73-72.