One is at a loss of words when it comes to Indian green baize’s golden boy. Pankaj Advani’s insatiable appetite for titles saw him add one more, the Asian 6-Red snooker title last week in Abu Dhabi, to etch his name in history.
Just when everyone is left wondering what was next for the Bengaluru ace, Advani bagged yet another crown to keep his record stack piling up. With the win, the 30-year-old becomes the first in the world to hold the continental and the world title in 6-reds snooker at the same time.
Not having laid his hands on a trophy for the past couple of months, the win has spurred him on. Here, Advani holds forth on his upcoming tournaments and his plans to defend the World 6-Red title. Excerpts: On the win: I was over the moon. It is a special feeling to hold both the titles together (World and continental) at the same time, so obviously the win is very special. Winning the Asian title finally was a huge relief. I had missed out on the Asian title (15-red) last month, so the pressure and determination to win was always present. Moreover, the 6-red format is highly unpredictable and you can lose to anyone. On the final: The semi-final was easy as I was very sharp against Aditya (Mehta), and you don’t get too many chances against a player of his calibre. The final on the other hand was quite tense. I was fighting it out and the pressure was there. I was in the lead and I was fighting it out and going for the shots. Towards the end, the pressure of the win was very much there.
On losing in the team final: We were favourites but they adopted a different strategy in the final. The shots they went for we don’t play like that and we wouldn’t go for it that way. Luckily they got most of their shots and the match went their way.
On expectations and pressure: The last couple of years, especially 2014-2015 have been great for me. This year I hadn’t won any titles for a few months and that was on my mind. The last few months have been tough. It’s not possible to win everything always. On winning both formats: I consider myself lucky and I am truly grateful that I have the talent to play both billiards and snooker. Playing both formats and winning titles has been an accomplishment, and I’m happy I have been able to achieve that feat.
On defending his World 6-red title: There are a lot of tournaments coming up, starting with selections for the Worlds in Hyderabad. Moreover, I am gunning for a straight third World 6-red title. That itself is a lot of pressure so it’s playing at the back of my mind. On Cue Slam, the franchise-based tournament in June and August: It’s good that a lot of tournaments are happening. Especially with Cue Slam coming up it’s going to be a boost to the sport. Hopefully with matches being televised, the sport will become more popular and grow in the country.
