Unbeaten Advani faces Russell in final

When England’s Mike Russell opened the IBSF World Billiards 150-Up Championship with a loss to India’s Dhvaj Haria on Thursday, he had said these were just “early days”.
Yesterday, the multiple time world champion stormed into the final with an easy win over England-born Singaporean star Peter Gilchrist in the semi-finals at the Al Arabi Sports Club Indoor Hall.
The 48-year-old Englishman will face defending champion Pankaj Advani in today’s final.
“It just takes time, like I said on the first day, to get into the rhythm, find some concentration,” Russell told Gulf Times yesterday.
“But I am just very happy to have played well and get through, especially here in Qatar, which is a really nice place.”
Gilchrist started strong in the first frame, going 46-0, but a missed shot changed that all and Russell pounced on it with a 151-point break to go one-up.
Thereafter, breaks of 102, 152 and 133 ensured Russell stayed in the lead, going 4-0 up, before Gilchrist snatched one with a 151-point break of his own.
However, it was too little too late, as Russell, armed with a 76-point break, strolled into the final.
“He had the chance in the first game, but after that I played really well,” said Russell, who made it to the semi-finals after a quarters victory over India’s Sourav Kothari.
“The tables help because they are very beautiful and very easy. Even if you are under a little bit of pressure, you can afford to feel a bit relaxed because the table is good.”
Across the hall, Advani and compatriot Rupesh Shah were locked in a close battle for the final spot.
Quality breaks by both the players ensured they were neck and neck till 2-all. In the third, Shah stitched together a 90-point break but a missed shot handed Advani the opportunity and the 32-year-old from the Indian city of Bengaluru pounced on it, to never look back.
Advani pocketed the sixth frame with a break of 151, going up 4-2, and then closed out the game like a well-oiled machine in the seventh frame.
“This format is tricky, if the rival gets the first chance in the frame, especially at the start, and if scores heavy, it tends to put you on the back foot. But I am glad to have come back in a strong fashion. I thought he sort of faltered when it was 2-all, and that was crucial. Once I went 3-2 up, my rhythm was back,” Advani, who was in the last four after a win over compatriot Dhruv Sitwala, said after he sealed his spot in the final.
Both the finalists stressed on the importance of momentum in the shorter format.
“We have had some good matches in the past. He beat me in India a couple of times, I beat him in Leeds a couple of times,” Advani said.
“If I can keep the momentum and score well tomorrow, then it will be an interesting game. Mike is obviously scoring really well. We have seen that some matches have gone really close, anything can happen,” he added.
Russell said, “In 150-up, you just got to run away with it, just like 9-Ball pool.”
 
RESULTS (150-UP)
QUARTER-FINALS
Rupesh Shah (India) beat Nay Thway Oo (Myanmar) 5-1
Pankaj Advani (India) beat Dhruv Sitwala (India) 5-2
Mike Russell (England) beat Sourav Kothari (India) 5-2
Peter Gilchrist (Singapore) beat Siddharth Parikh (India) 5-2
 
SEMI-FINALS
Mike Russell (England) beat Peter Gilchrist (Singapore) 5-1
Pankaj Advani (India) beat Rupesh Shah (India) 5-2
 
Today’s Schedule
10am: Final
Pankaj Advani (India) vs
Mike Russell (England)